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Stories from SlateBuilt-In Furniture That Functions as Architecture Rather Than D&eacute;corhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/03/02/_150_best_mini_interior_ideas_by_francesc_zamora_includes_500_pages_of_color.html
<p>The 500 pages of color photographs of intriguing, cleverly designed small spaces in the recently published <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0062352016/?tag=slatmaga-20"><em>150 Best Mini Interior Ideas</em></a> by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Francesc-Zamora/e/B00IUMC6YS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0">Francesc Zamora Mola</a> provide plenty of evidence of how the constraints of a small footprint can free designers and homeowners to take risks and put roofs on their most eccentric of dreams.</p>
<p>In addition to offering plenty of small-space eye candy, the book’s new builds and renovations—including urban apartments, rural houses, converted garages, stables, garden sheds, and more—are also united in their use of space-saving strategies that require confidence and commitment to get right. These include a willingness to embrace open space, build multifunctional rooms, exploit verticality, and incorporate built-in furniture.</p>
<p>Built-in furniture has been around since the Middle Ages, when <a href="https://books.google.fr/books?id=T3EwHTrRZEsC&amp;pg=PA121&amp;lpg=PA121&amp;dq=%22built-in+furniture%22+middle+ages&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=ti5heB_oYo&amp;sig=w0P__lmy7kDBdIn17Tr8TF6B-Sc&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ei=xYr0VOeJH8XpaKixgZAI&amp;ved=0CCkQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&amp;q=%22built-in%20furniture%22%20middle%20ages&amp;f=false">medieval stone houses</a> incorporated stone beds and benches, and built-in furniture has come and gone throughout the centuries according to the change in lifestyles and fashion. But apart from closets, bookshelves, and the endangered monstrosity known as the media center, these days freestanding furniture tends to rule.</p>
<p>Although freestanding furniture might allow for spontaneous redecorating, built-in furniture can be tailored to fit, becoming part of the architecture rather than the d&eacute;cor. And because living well in a small space requires a particular knack for space planning and judicious furniture choices, several spaces in <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062352019/150-best-mini-interior-ideas"><em>150 Best Mini Interior Ideas</em></a> incorporate built-in furniture to maximize space and efficiency, creating a streamlined look.</p>
<p>“A scarcity of space can trigger talent and creativity,” Zamora&nbsp;Mola&nbsp;writes in the book’s introduction. “Architects do not shrink in the face of small spaces.”</p>Mon, 02 Mar 2015 21:10:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/03/02/_150_best_mini_interior_ideas_by_francesc_zamora_includes_500_pages_of_color.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-03-02T21:10:00ZLifeBuilt-In Furniture That Functions as Architecture Rather Than D&eacute;cor242150302001designarchitectureKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/03/02/_150_best_mini_interior_ideas_by_francesc_zamora_includes_500_pages_of_color.htmlfalsefalsefalsePhotograph by Anna Positano. Copyright 2014 by Harper Design and Loft Publications.The 377-square-foot Harbor Attic, designed by Gosplan Architects, is a refurbished attic overlooking the old harbor of Camogli, a fishing village near Genoa, Italy. Built-in furniture like the sofa pictured frees up floor area, makes the space less cramped, and unifies the deecor, Zamora Mola notes.Flow Hive Delivers Honey on Tap Without Stressing Out the Beeshttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/27/flow_hive_on_indiegogo_delivers_honey_on_tap_making_beekeeping_easier_for.html
<p>Humans have been keeping bees for thousands of years. The process of extracting honey from hives has always been laborious, messy, time-consuming, and occasionally painful for beekeepers. It’s also a source of stress for bees that often switch to fight mode during a hive invasion.</p>
<p>But a father-and-son team of second- and third-generation beekeepers from Byron Bay, Australia, has spent the last decade redesigning the beehive to make extracting honey painless for both beekeepers and bees. Cedar Anderson, 34, and Stuart Anderson, 60, have developed an innovative beekeeping system that provides honey on tap with no need to crack open and pull apart the hives.</p>
<p>After field-testing their invention for three years on beekeepers in Australia and around the world, on Sunday the Andersons launched a Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to raise $70,000 to fund production of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/flow-hive-honey-on-tap-directly-from-your-beehive">Flow Hive</a>.&nbsp;They exceeded their target in fewer than five minutes and have already raised more than $3.5 million and counting. (The campaign closes on April 5.)</p>
<p>Harvesting honey typically requires beekeepers to gear up to protect themselves from stings, use smokers to sedate bees, crack the hives open, pull out honeycomb frames without squashing bees, move to processing facilities to uncap frames, insert them into extractors, filter out wax and dead bees, and clean up the mess before putting the frames back into the hives.</p>
<p>With Flow Hive, the Andersons write in a project description, just “turn a tap, sit back, and watch the honey pour out. It’s pure, unprocessed, untouched delicious honey directly from the hive. No mess, no fuss, no expensive processing equipment and without disturbing the bees.”</p>
<p>The Andersons say in a press release that their invention marks the biggest shift in honey collection in more than 150 years, with enormous implications for both amateur and commercial beekeeping. The Flow Hive, they say, eliminates almost all required human labor and opens the potential for remotely activated or automated honey collection.</p>
<p>To create this seemingly seamless new method for harvesting honey, partially formed honeycomb cells are placed in transparent frames that fit into conventional beehives. The frames have clear ends that create viewing windows for beekeepers to monitor honey production, bee numbers, and pests.</p>
<p>Once the bees have completed the comb with their wax and filled cells with honey, the beekeeper inserts a lever into the frame, turning it to vertically split open the cells. While bees sit largely undisturbed on the comb surface, pure unfiltered honey discreetly drains down a pipe at the back of the hive and flows out through a tap. Once the honey has finished flowing, the lever turns back, and the process starts all over again.</p>
<p>In addition to being well-funded budding entrepreneurs, the Andersons are beekeeping evangelists.</p>
<p>“Beekeepers and bees have a special symbiotic relationship that goes back thousands of years,” they write. “Without the bees we may not be able to sustain human life as we know it, and without the beekeepers we wouldn’t have enough bees. … We hope Flow Hive will encourage thousands more people to become passionate carers and advocates of bees and become more aware of the threats facing not only bees but the matrix of life.”</p>
<p>To see the Flow Hive in action, check out the video below, or visit the Flow Hive&nbsp;<a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/flow-hive-honey-on-tap-directly-from-your-beehive">Indigogo</a>&nbsp;campaign or&nbsp;<a href="http://www.honeyflow.com/">website</a>&nbsp;for more information.</p>Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:49:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/27/flow_hive_on_indiegogo_delivers_honey_on_tap_making_beekeeping_easier_for.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-02-27T16:49:00ZLifeThis Brilliant Beehive Delivers Honey on Tap Without Stressing Out the Bees242150227001designbeesKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/27/flow_hive_on_indiegogo_delivers_honey_on_tap_making_beekeeping_easier_for.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of NOLi GandaCedar Anderson (left) and his father, Stuart Anderson, with their Flow Hive.This Wondrous Dutch Light Installation Mimics the Northern Lightshttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/26/daan_roosegaarde_s_waterlicht_is_an_interactive_led_powered_northern_lights.html
<p>Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde is a modern wizard of interactive landscapes. His poetic, art- and nature-inspired light installations include a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/14/van_gogh_roosegaarde_bike_path_based_on_van_gogh_s_starry_night_glows_in.html">glow-in-the-dark bike path</a> reminiscent of Vincent van Gogh’s <em>Starry Night</em> and <a href="https://www.studioroosegaarde.net/project/rainbow-station/">a vibrant rainbow</a> at the end of the train tracks at Amsterdam’s Central Station.</p>
<p>Wednesday night in the Netherlands, <a href="https://www.studioroosegaarde.net">Studio Roosegaarde</a> previewed its latest act of self-described “techno-poetry” using state-of-the-art LED technology to create a spellbinding installation that streaks across the nighttime sky like the&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora">Northern Lights</a>.</p>
<p>But the installation, titled “Waterlicht” (Water Light), is a project commissioned by the <a href="http://www.wrij.nl/thema%27/actueel/projecten/waterlicht/">Dutch water board Rhine and IJssel</a>&nbsp;“to raise awareness about the power and poetry of water,” according to a project description. The Netherlands’&nbsp;geography makes much of the country&nbsp;<a href="http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/documentation/studies/documents/netherlands_climate_change_en.pdf">vulnerable to flooding</a>, and although its past water management strategies <a href="http://www.oecd.org/governance/dutch-water-governance-faces-challenges-from-demographics-and-climate.htm">have been successful</a>, the country’s water awareness remains a “weak spot,” the project press release notes.</p>
<p>Visitors to Wednesday’s preview of the installation nicknamed the exhibition the Northern Lights of the Netherlands, Jamaica den Heijer of Studio Roosegarde told me in an email. “I think it is always good when people give their own opinion about a project, and I think it's true, it looks amazing, like the Northern Lights,” she wrote. “We, [at] Studio Roosegaarde, always create something where people feel amazed or inspired, and the story tells itself. [What] people call the art piece, or how they experience it, is part of the design process.”</p>
<p>Open to the public starting today, the light show will take place nightly from 7:30 to 10 p.m. until Sunday across 4 acres of flood channel of the River IJssel near Westervoort, Netherlands. (The studio says it plans to recreate the installation throughout the Netherlands in the near future.)</p>
<p>Visitors (who are encouraged to wear boots) walk on the dike while wavy lines of light are projected across the landscape, as “a combination of awareness and a dreamscape,” Roosegarde says in a press release. By adding LED technology, experience, and perception, he says, “we create a virtual flood. Walking on the dike the light lines are perceived as high water, once in the flood channel you find yourself in an underwater world.”</p>Thu, 26 Feb 2015 16:58:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/26/daan_roosegaarde_s_waterlicht_is_an_interactive_led_powered_northern_lights.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-02-26T16:58:00ZLifeThis Wondrous Dutch Light Installation Mimics the Northern Lights242150226001designnetherlandsKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/26/daan_roosegaarde_s_waterlicht_is_an_interactive_led_powered_northern_lights.htmlfalsefalsefalsePhoto by Pim Hendriksen. Courtesy of Studio Roosegaarde.“Waterlicht” is Dutch designer Daan Roosegarde’s LED-powered answer to the Northern Lights.Is This Text-Message Alert System for Pregnant Cows the Design of the Year?http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/24/moocall_a_text_alert_system_for_pregnant_cows_is_nominated_for_london_design.html
<p>London’s&nbsp;<a href="https://designmuseum.org/">Design Museum</a>&nbsp;revealed its 76 nominees for Design of the Year 2015 on Thursday. The list spans architecture, fashion, product design, digital design, graphics, and transport, and it includes high-profile projects such as <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2015/01/14/google_self_driving_cars_may_be_built_by_gm_ford_toyota_or_mercedes.html">Google’s self-driving car</a>, a French supermarket campaign to reduce food waste by selling <a href="http://itm.marcelww.com/inglorious/">misshapen vegetables</a>, and <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/13/norway_chooses_pixelated_banknote_designs_from_snohetta_design_for_its_new.html">Norway’s cool redesigned&nbsp;banknotes</a>.</p>
<p>This year, as the Design Museum noted in a press release, many of the nominees share “the desire to harness new technologies to solve long-standing problems.” One such nominee is&nbsp;<a href="https://moocallsensors.com/">Moocall</a>,&nbsp;an Irish birth-monitoring gadget that alerts farmers when cows are in labor.&nbsp;Since awards like Design of the Year can seem as reductive and subjective as the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slate.com/topics/t/the_oscars.html">Oscars</a>, it’s refreshing to see a prominent design institution highlight a solution to a specialized problem that’s otherwise invisible to the public, despite having a far-reaching impact on the farmers of the world.</p>
<p>Moocall noninvasively hooks onto the tail of a pregnant cow (unlike more invasive&nbsp;<a href="http://birth-monitoring.com/home/birth-monitoring/">cow birthing monitors</a>) and sends a text message to the farmer when the cow’s about an hour away from giving birth. Dreamed up by farmer Niall Austin, Moocall was designed to free farmers from keeping vigil over pregnant cows and to help increase live births and farm profitability. The device, which the company says can be shared among 50 to 60 cows, uses 3-D motion sensors, algorithms, and an embedded roaming&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_to_machine">M2M</a>&nbsp;SIM card that claims it can pick up even weak network signals.</p>
<p>Austin said that cow labor can be as hard to predict as human labor and sometimes requires farmers’ supervision. Moocall says that cellphones can be set to recognize the Moocall number and recommends setting a specific ringtone for Moocall alerts, particularly for those that arrive overnight.</p>
<p>Although Austin designed the device for the cows at his County Offaly, Ireland, farm, he hopes to <a href="http://www.independent.ie/business/farming/smurfitbacked-startup-moocall-will-help-farmers-sleep-soundly-30220617.html">tap into the cattle markets</a>&nbsp;across the U.S., Canada, and South America.</p>
<p>“I have lost heifers and calves on my own farm simply because I was not there to help and after the last tragic incident in 2010, I wanted to try and find a way to prevent it happening again,” Austin told <em><a href="http://irishtechnews.net/ITN3/moocall-worlds-first-irish-designed-sensor-tells-farmer-when-a-cow-is-ready-to-calve/">Irish Tech News</a>.</em>&nbsp;“Losing a cow and calf during birthing process is heart-breaking and very often completely preventable.”</p>
<p>Moocall, which says on its website that it was “designed by farmers for farmers,” was created with help from Irish technology partners&nbsp;<a href="http://www.motechengineering.co.uk/">Motech Engineering</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.dolmen.ie/project/sms-calving-alert-sensor/">Dolmen</a>. They noted that on-the-farm prototyping helped them to shape the design and build a device strong enough to stand up to harsh elements and “counter the cow’s natural curiosity to eat, lick and crush the Moocall units.”</p>
<p>The Design of the Year category winners will be announced in May and the overall winner in June. The designs will be <a href="https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/future-exhibitions/designs-of-the-year-2015">exhibited at the Design Museum in London</a> from March 25 to Aug. 23.</p>Tue, 24 Feb 2015 18:15:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/24/moocall_a_text_alert_system_for_pregnant_cows_is_nominated_for_london_design.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-02-24T18:15:00ZLifeIs This Text-Message Alert System for Pregnant Cows the Design of the Year?242150224001designKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/24/moocall_a_text_alert_system_for_pregnant_cows_is_nominated_for_london_design.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of the Design MuseumMoocall sends text messages to farmers when their pregnant cows are about an hour away from giving birth.How Clever Lighting and Graphics Can Give New Life to Outdated Buildings&nbsp;http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/23/esi_design_uses_light_video_and_graphics_to_renovate_outdated_buildings.html
<p>The design world is full of stories about buzzy new architectural builds and gut renovations of dated structures. But the American landscape is still populated with dull or otherwise tired-looking buildings.</p>
<p>Because it isn’t feasible to tear down or completely reimagine every building in need of an overhaul, New York City–based&nbsp;<a href="http://www.esidesign.com/">ESI Design</a>&nbsp;has created noninvasive solutions to give the interiors and exteriors of 20<sup>th</sup>-century buildings some 21<sup>st</sup>-century game with strategic LED lighting schemes, video installations, and graphics.</p>
<p>While the designs don’t exactly turn Cinderella buildings into princesses, they do testify to the power of good lighting and eye-catching graphics, injecting a bit of refreshment and relevance into otherwise static structures.</p>
<p>Their latest effort is an attempt to turn a drab exterior of a Chicago skyscraper into a local landmark with a 445-foot-tall LED-powered steel map of Chicago at 300 S. Wacker Dr., which overlooks the Chicago River (above and left).*</p>
<p>What was formerly a blank wall covering an elevator shaft is now a larger-than-life graphic of the neighborhood, an innovative solution to make an otherwise unremarkable building a noted landmark.</p>
<p>Past projects include a reimagined entrance to a nondescript 1974 building at 221 Main St. in San Francisco with a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh9NLJDVQ3c">126-foot-long digital display</a>&nbsp;extending from the interior lobby to the exterior fa&ccedil;ade. Designed to be seen from the street, the display is part of an attempt to fit into the city’s expanding tech corridor, particularly as the Transbay Bus Terminal opposite the building is redeveloped into a public park and new office buildings in 2017. The interactive display changes with the time of day, responds to local weather, and offers full-color, California–themed images of poppies, redwoods, and crashing waves, as seen in the video below.</p>
<p>“The entire display is a medium for content, a lighting surface and an architectural addition to the building,” the designers write in a project description. “An address that once lacked a distinguishing trait now has a distinct presence that speaks to the promising future of the neighborhood.”</p>
<p>To increase outdoor visibility of the modernist I.M. Pei building at 177 Huntington Ave. in Boston, ESI Design added lighting on the building exterior to accentuate its curved corners. ESI Design also added 22-foot&nbsp;<a href="https://vimeo.com/109265918">floor-to-ceiling columns</a>&nbsp;of 6-inch-wide colored LED panels on its monumental concrete elevator bay. The panels function as cascading displays of information about the neighborhood, weather, and events that make the wait for an elevator a lot less boring. (Watch the lights in action in the video below.)</p>
<p>“Directed by the existing architecture, ESI developed a light art installation that works in tandem with the distinct character of the lobby,” the designers write. Running the length of the space, the LEDs visually reference the sun rays that pour through the windows and allude to the ripples visible on the reflecting pool of the Christian Science Plaza outside. “The combined effect is an augmented natural light experience that converses with the building and the outside surroundings.”</p>
<p><em><strong>Correction, Feb. 23, 2015: </strong>This post originally misstated the address of the Chicago building that features an LED map from ESI Design. It is located at 300 S. Wacker Dr., not 330 S. Wacker Dr.</em></p>Mon, 23 Feb 2015 16:51:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/23/esi_design_uses_light_video_and_graphics_to_renovate_outdated_buildings.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-02-23T16:51:00ZLifeHow LED Lighting and Clever&nbsp;Graphics Can Bring Tired, Outdated Buildings Into the 21st Century242150223001designarchitectureKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/23/esi_design_uses_light_video_and_graphics_to_renovate_outdated_buildings.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of ESI DesignA 445-foot-tall steel map powered with LED lights at 300 S. Wacker Dr. in Chicago. The space was once a blank wall covering an elevator shaft (below left).Profanity-Laden Advice From an Inspirational Poster in Apple’s Design Guru Jony Ives’ Officehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/20/jony_ives_motivational_poster_from_gfda_on_his_office_wall_in_the_apple.html
<p>While reading the new profile of Apple design guru Jony Ive in the <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/23/shape-things-come"><em>New Yorker</em></a>, I found myself yearning for visuals when writer Ian Parker described the contents of Ive’s sketchbooks. Not to mention the d&eacute;cor of his office inside the Apple design studio: “Overlapping framed images leaned against the wall: a Banksy print of the Queen with the face of a chimpanzee, and a poster, well known in design circles, that begins, ‘Believe in your fucking self. Stay up all fucking night,’ and ends, many admonitions later, ‘Think about all the fucking possibilities.’ ”</p>
<p>So I wondered about the story behind the profane pep talk of an inspirational <a href="http://store.goodfuckingdesignadvice.com/collections/frontpage/products/black-framed-posters">poster</a> on the wall of the man who makes some of the most covetable design objects in the world.</p>
<p>The poster is by Brian Buirge and Jason Bacher, who started <a href="http://goodfuckingdesignadvice.com">Good Fucking Design Advice</a> “on a whim” in 2010, they told me in an email. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>“We were on a walk back from getting coffee one morning early in our graduate school experience at Kent State University and were joking around about creating a site where students could go for design advice,” they said. “As we got more and more caffeinated, we added in the foul-language component and found the idea hilarious like a couple of 10-year-olds. We immediately went back to the grad studio, dropped the rest of our work for the day, and got to work.”</p>
<p>Buirge stayed in Ohio, and Bacher is now based in Brooklyn, but they have since gone on to collaborate on <a href="http://store.goodfuckingdesignadvice.com/">posters, coffee mugs, and T-shirts</a>. They travel around the country and beyond, giving <a href="http://goodfuckingdesignadvice.com/contact/speaking/">talks and workshops</a> at universities, startups, and chapters of the professional design organization AIGA.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.goodfuckingdesignadvice.com/advice/33/">GFDA website</a> dispenses a rotating trove of advice tidbits (at 250 and counting) that the designers say they sourced from their own experiences as designers, students, teachers, and business owners. “When we sat down to design the poster, we picked our 25 favorites from that initial list,” they said. “The ordering of the first few pieces of advice and the last few were very deliberate, and the ones in the middle were admittedly ordered so we could get the best <a href="http://www.techopedia.com/definition/28693/rags-typography">rag of type</a> possible.”</p>
<p>The designers said they chose a “visually neutral” approach for GFDA. “In that neutrality and minimalism, it allowed the advice, arguably the most important feature of the site, to sit as the most dominant element of the design,” they said. Knowing they were “designing for designers” led them to choose Helvetica in black, white, warm red, and silver/gray.</p>
<p>So is their <a href="http://store.goodfuckingdesignadvice.com/collections/frontpage/products/classic-advice-print-br-white">Classic Advice Print</a> simply a gratuitously sweary version of conventional inspirational posters for creatives? Or is it actually a glowing testament to the galvanizing motivational power of the F-word?</p>
<p>“The site/poster/company was never in response to other inspirational posters,” they said. “The use of the F-word was certainly at first very funny to us in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way, but ultimately has grown to represent the passionate approach to being a creative that we often preach about and continue practice ourselves.”</p>
<p>The designers have a “<a href="http://www.goodfuckingdesignadvice.com/advice/33/">family friendly</a>” button on their website offering a thinly veiled block on the offending expletive (and a <a href="http://store.goodfuckingdesignadvice.com/collections/prints/products/classic-advice-print-br-family-friendly">similar version</a> of the poster).</p>
<p>“The family friendly poster (and feature on our site) was actually in response to some of the criticism we received about using the F-word,” they said. “In all honesty it was our way of snubbing our nose at the critics, because we made the poster such that you can still clearly tell what word is barely hidden from sight.”</p>
<p>I asked them what they thought about Ive having their poster on his Apple office wall. “Just gratitude,” they said.</p>Fri, 20 Feb 2015 14:44:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/20/jony_ives_motivational_poster_from_gfda_on_his_office_wall_in_the_apple.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-02-20T14:44:00ZLifeProfanity-Laden Advice From an Inspirational Poster in Apple’s Design Guru’s Office242150220001designappleKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/20/jony_ives_motivational_poster_from_gfda_on_his_office_wall_in_the_apple.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of GFDAThe Classic Advice Print for designers from Brian Buirge and Jason Bacher of Good Fucking Design Advice. Apple designer Jony Ive has a version of this print on his office wall.The New York Times Magazine&nbsp;Relaunches With Redesigned Logos and a Focus on Digitalhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/19/new_york_times_magazine_redesign_includes_a_new_logo_fonts_and_social_media.html
<p>The nearly 119-year-old <em><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/pages/magazine/index.html">New York Times Magazine</a></em> is relaunching on Sunday with new features including a weekly poem, an updated logo, a new suite of fonts, and an abbreviated logo for use on <a href="https://twitter.com/NYTmag">social media</a>.</p>
<p>“We have used the hammer and the tongs but perhaps not the blowtorch; we sought to manufacture a magazine that would be unusual, surprising and original but not wholly unfamiliar,” <a href="https://twitter.com/jakesilverstein">Jake Silverstein</a> writes an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/22/magazine/behind-the-relaunch-of-the-new-york-times-magazine-by-jake-silverstein.html?smid=tw-share&amp;_r=1">editor’s letter</a> about the redesign, which launches Sunday with “The Global Issue.”</p>
<p>A <a href="http://investors.nytco.com/press/press-releases/press-release-details/2015/The-New-York-Times-Magazine-Unveils-Print-Digital-Redesign-Featuring-New-Columns-and-Bold-Clean-Layout/default.aspx">press release</a> issued Thursday about the magazine’s new look, which was <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110302006118/en/York-Times-Magazine-Unveil-Redesign-March-6#.VOYEP7DF_xG">last redesigned in 2011</a>, describes its “bold, clean layout” designed by former<em> GQ </em>art director Anton Ioukhnovets. It says that the new magazine logo and fonts will help distinguish magazine content from regular daily coverage online. New responsive designs optimized for desktops and tablets include full-bleed images and a more interactive design. &nbsp;</p>
<p>A sneak peek of some elements of the redesign, led by magazine design director Gail Bichler and art director Matt Willey, revealed a series of four covers, the first of which (top) struck me as a 2015 version of a <a href="https://www.google.fr/search?q=whole+earth+catalog+covers&amp;tbm=isch&amp;tbo=u&amp;source=univ&amp;sa=X&amp;ei=vdvlVJ7TGNSraf61gvAJ&amp;ved=0CCIQsAQ&amp;biw=1317&amp;bih=643"><em>Whole Earth Catalog</em></a> cover. (The other three covers will appear in the magazine.)<br /> </p>
<p>Bichler commissioned type designer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Carter">Matthew Carter</a> to subtly redraw the magazine’s familiar logo, which Silverstein calls “more modern, more graciously spaced.”</p>
<p>According to Silverstein, Bichler and Willey also oversaw the creation of a new series of typefaces designed by Henrik Kubel of <a href="http://www.a2-type.co.uk/html/about.html">A2-Type</a>.</p>
<p>Perhaps anticipating the inevitable backlash from some of the magazine’s 4 million monthly readers, who tend to notice and take changes in typeface personally, Silverstein writes: “Not a single letter in this relaunch issue has ever seen the light of day. They are infants; treat them gently.” (Silverstein told&nbsp;<a href="http://www.fastcodesign.com/3042590/the-new-york-times-magazine-redesigns-with-web-readers-in-mind"><em>Fast Company</em></a> that they still haven’t named the newborn fonts.)</p>Thu, 19 Feb 2015 15:49:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/19/new_york_times_magazine_redesign_includes_a_new_logo_fonts_and_social_media.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-02-19T15:49:00ZLifeA Sneak Preview of the
<em>New York Times Magazine</em> Redesign242150219001designKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/19/new_york_times_magazine_redesign_includes_a_new_logo_fonts_and_social_media.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of the New York TimesThe official new cover by Matthew Pillsbury of the redesigned <em>New York Times Magazine</em>, which launches on Sunday with “The Global Issue.” Additional cover designs featured below will appear in the magazine.These “Introji” Emojis Capture What Life Is Like for Introvertshttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/17/rebecca_evie_lynch_s_introji_are_emojis_for_introverts.html
<p>Designer Rebecca Evie Lynch decided to create a series of emojis&nbsp;after her boyfriend of three years broke up with her, saying he needed more time alone. “I was surprised, as I've always considered myself an introvert, too,” she told <a href="http://www.fastcocreate.com/3042314/attention-introverts-introjis-are-a-series-of-emojis-designed-just-for-you"><em>Fast Company</em></a>, “but I realized that my enthusiasm about being in a relationship sometimes overshadows my ability to read others’&nbsp;signals.”</p>
<p>The result is Introji, a series of pictograms designed to help introverts express their intrinsic need to recharge in solitude. Lynch is also working on a parallel series of icons designed to help those in relationships with introverts negotiate the boundaries of togetherness.</p>
<p>“As an introvert, I've experienced plenty of moments where I feel the lack of a simple way to express a need for aloneness—or conversely, a need for quiet company—in a way that won't be misunderstood,” Lynch wrote in a <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1903106775/introji?ref=card">Kickstarter</a> pitch last fall. (She subsequently canceled the crowdfunding effort.) “On the other hand, I want to be able express to others that I understood their need for space, while letting them know that I'd be there when they needed me.”</p>
<p>Introji is still in the prototype phase, though Lynch eventually hopes to launch them as an app. In the meantime, she welcomes introverts and the people who love them to comment on the designs and offer suggestions for icons on the Introji <a href="https://www.facebook.com/introji">Facebook</a> page.</p>Tue, 17 Feb 2015 17:11:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/17/rebecca_evie_lynch_s_introji_are_emojis_for_introverts.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-02-17T17:11:00ZLifeThese Emojis Show What Life Is Like for Introverts242150217001designemojisKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/17/rebecca_evie_lynch_s_introji_are_emojis_for_introverts.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Rebecca Evie Lynch/IntrojiIntroji are emojis for introverts that would help others know when they need time to recharge, are feeling social, want to leave the party, or are happily or unhappily alone in their bubbles of solitude.Can Cheerful D&eacute;cor Help Kids Heal? A London Hospital Recruited Designers to Test It Out.http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/13/royal_london_hospital_commissions_prominent_designers_to_spruce_up_its_children.html
<p>Nobody likes hospitals, least of all children. Most are scary, sterile, and depressing, making a grim experience even grimmer. But sometimes design can play a role in distracting patients from the distressing business of being sick. We’ve seen design used to help children <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2013/10/18/creative_confidence_a_new_book_from_ideo_s_tom_and_david_kelley.html">get over their fear of MRIs</a>. And <a href="http://www.vitalarts.org.uk/hospitals/childrens-hospital-royal-london/">Vital Arts</a>, the arts organization for Barts Health NHS Trust, a charitably funded program to improve the well-being of patients and hospital staff, has spent the past two years inviting designers to inject the pediatric ward of the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bartshealth.nhs.uk/our-hospitals/the-royal-london-hospital/">Royal London Hospital</a> with cheerful, life-affirming, brightly colored art and design.</p>
<p>“It is well documented in medical research that children can find being at hospital, no matter how routine the visit or how often they come, a frightening and stressful experience,” Neesha Gobin, an arts assistant in the hospital's Vital Arts department, told me in an email. “Art has proven throughout pediatric hospitals all over the world to be an invaluable aid for staff in building relationships and children's confidence, as well as positively engaging children who are receiving sometimes painful and frightening treatments.”</p>
<p>Textile artist <a href="http://www.elladoran.co.uk/">Ella Doran</a> designed bedside curtains with a panoramic view of the Thames that picture hot air balloons, kites, and animals playing on the river banks. “A seminal moment for me was when a 3-year-old girl stopped crying the moment she saw the curtains, pointing excitedly to the hidden cats and rabbits,” Doran said. “That's when I knew my design had worked.”</p>
<p>Gobin says that the designs are a conversation starter that help distract children and build relationships with hospital staff. “Children will get to know their nurses by talking about and together naming the featured animals, which builds trust and makes carrying out medical tasks much easier,” she says. “Families point at the images and discuss recent holidays when they flew kites and travelled by boat; memories that help to maintain the family unit even when away from home.”</p>
<p>Nursing director Sally Shearer said that she’s proud that her hospital worked with the designers to create a unique, comforting experience for its young patients and their families. “These fun designs are an important part of our commitment to easing children’s fears of being in a seemingly strange and scary building, to instead create a warm and comforting place of healing,” she said.</p>
<p>For more photos and information about the designs, head over to the <a href="http://www.vitalarts.org.uk/hospitals/childrens-hospital-royal-london/">Vital Arts</a> website.<br /> </p>
<p>Via <a href="http://www.designboom.com/art/designers-and-artists-liven-up-the-royal-london-hospital-01-29-2015/?utm_campaign=daily&amp;utm_medium=e-mail&amp;utm_source=subscribers"><em>Designboom</em></a><br /> </p>Fri, 13 Feb 2015 17:39:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/13/royal_london_hospital_commissions_prominent_designers_to_spruce_up_its_children.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-02-13T17:39:00ZLifeCan Cheerful D&eacute;cor Help Kids Heal? A London Hospital Recruited Designers to Test It Out.242150213001designhospitalsKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/13/royal_london_hospital_commissions_prominent_designers_to_spruce_up_its_children.htmlfalsefalsefalsePhoto by Gareth Gardner. Courtesy of Vital Arts. Designer Morag Myerscough embellished a trauma and gastroenterology ward at Royal London Hospital with her signature style of hand-painted words and distinctive patterns inspired by a visit Myerscough made in 2008 to Delhi, India.Japan’s Spiraling Ribbon Chapel Finds Romance in Minimalist Designhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/12/ribbon_chapel_by_hiroshi_nakamura_is_the_most_romantic_wedding_chapel_in.html
<p>In the lead-up to Valentine’s Day, the world is awash in heart-shaped clich&eacute;s of what romance is supposed to look like. But this arresting, minimalist Japanese wedding chapel designed by architect <a href="http://www.nakam.info/en/">Hiroshi Nakamura</a> uses love as a metaphor and delivers a building that is anything but corny.</p>
<p>Completed at the end of 2013, the <a href="http://www.nakam.info/en/">Ribbon Chapel</a> has recently been <a href="http://www.dezeen.com/2015/02/05/intertwining-staircases-spiral-wedding-chapel-hiroshi-nakamura-japan/">making</a> <a href="http://www.designboom.com/architecture/hiroshi-nakamura-nap-ribbon-chapel-spiral-hiroshima-japan-01-28-2015/">the</a> <a href="http://www.archdaily.com/594947/ribbon-chapel-nap-architects/">rounds</a> online in part thanks to receiving a “best chapel” award from <a href="http://www.wallpaper.com/gallery/design/design-awards-2015-a-year-of-dazzling-displays-striking-shapes-and-polished-performances/17056348#111964"><em>Wallpaper</em></a> this month. &nbsp;</p>
<p>The chapel is configured as a double spiral formed by two mutually supporting, freestanding stairways that begin at different locations, gradually wind upward and eventually intertwine, “a device symbolic of the bride and groom’s path of marriage and formal union as one,” according to a project description from the architect.</p>
<p>During the ceremony, bride and groom ascend their respective staircases to meet at the top, then walk back down together.</p>
<p>Located on the grounds of a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g651649-d1094113-Reviews-Bella_Vista_Sakaigahama-Onomichi_Hiroshima_Prefecture_Chugoku.html">resort hotel</a>&nbsp;in Japan’s Hiroshima prefecture, the Ribbon Chapel seats 80 guests and offers a stunning view of the Inland Sea. The chapel site is surrounded by tall trees that block views of the water, so the architect built the chapel higher than the trees. This created an observation platform at the building’s summit and offered “the spatial qualities of a chapel with a high ceiling,” according to the architect.</p>Thu, 12 Feb 2015 17:14:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/12/ribbon_chapel_by_hiroshi_nakamura_is_the_most_romantic_wedding_chapel_in.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-02-12T17:14:00ZLifeIs This Spiraling Chapel the World’s Most Romantic Wedding Venue?242150212001designweddingsarchitecturejapanKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/12/ribbon_chapel_by_hiroshi_nakamura_is_the_most_romantic_wedding_chapel_in.htmlfalsefalsefalsePhoto by Koji Fujii. Courtesy of Nacasa and Partners Inc.The Ribbon Chapel overlooking the Inland Sea in Hiroshima prefecture, Japan. &nbsp;Neil Armstrong’s Widow Finds His Moon Purse Stashed in a Closethttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/10/neil_armstrong_apollo_11_artifacts_on_display_at_the_national_air_and_space.html
<p>When Neil Armstrong’s widow, Carol, was sorting through his closet after his death in 2012, she stumbled on a sack of moon landing artifacts. The bag was meant to be left on the lunar surface, but Armstrong had brought it back down to Earth, stashing it in his closet until his death.</p>
<p>Carol Armstrong turned the purse over to the <a href="http://airandspace.si.edu/">National Air and Space Museum</a>&nbsp;in Washington for further examination. <a href="http://blog.nasm.si.edu/highlights-from-the-collection/the-armstrong-purse/">According to the museum’s space history department curator Allan Needell</a>, the so-called <a href="https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a12/A12Flown-Purse.html">McDivitt purse</a> was named after <em>Apollo 9 </em>Commander James McDivitt, who suggested a solution for temporarily stowing objects when there wasn’t time to return them to fixed stowage. Officially called a temporary stowage bag, or TSB, the purse opened and closed like a clutch, was stowed in the lunar module during launch, and was fitted with pins to attach it to sockets in front of the commander’s station to the left of the lunar module hatch.</p>
<p>Needell writes that after closely examining the contents of the purse, experts determined that all of the items were from the <a href="http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraftDisplay.do?id=1969-059C">lunar module&nbsp;<em>Eagle</em></a><em>,&nbsp;</em>the first crewed vehicle to land on the moon, carrying Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. “[The items] were assembled in the Temporary Stowage Bag and saved from the fate that awaited Eagle’s ascent stage and all of its contents: crashing into the lunar surface.”</p>
<p>The curator writes that evidence that the items were intentionally preserved is found in the mission transcripts themselves, which are referenced by the <em>Apollo 11</em> crew soon after Armstrong and Aldrin rejoined Michael Collins in lunar orbit. “While still in the Lunar Module and after lunar orbit rendezvous with the Command Module, Neil and Buzz spent considerable time passing over to Mike the rock boxes and the contingency samples they had collected from the Moon,” Needell writes. “Less than an hour before they were ready to jettison Eagle, mission transcripts record Armstrong saying to Collins (Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 129:14:53): ‘You know, that — that one’s just a bunch of trash that we want to take back — LM parts, odds and ends, and it won’t stay closed by itself. We’ll have to figure something out for it.’ ”</p>
<p>“As far as we know, Neil has never discussed the existence of these items and no one else has seen them in the 45 years since he returned from the Moon,” Needell writes.</p>
<p>Two artifacts from the bag—the 16mm Data Acquisition Camera that was mounted in the window of the lunar module&nbsp;<em>Eagle&nbsp;</em>to capture the historic landing and a waist tether that Armstrong used to support his feet while briefly resting on the moon—are currently on display at the museum in&nbsp;<a href="http://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/outside-the-spacecraft/online/">a recently opened exhibition</a>.</p>
<p>For more detailed information about the purse and its contents, head over to <a href="http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11ReturnedEagleArtifacts.html">NASA</a>.</p>Tue, 10 Feb 2015 15:58:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/10/neil_armstrong_apollo_11_artifacts_on_display_at_the_national_air_and_space.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-02-10T15:58:00ZLifeNeil Armstrong’s Widow Finds His Moon Purse Stashed in a Closet242150210001designspaceastronautsKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/10/neil_armstrong_apollo_11_artifacts_on_display_at_the_national_air_and_space.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of the National Air and Space Museum/Smithsonian Institution Neil Armstrong’s McDivitt purse, stowed in the lunar module during <em>Apollo 11</em>. The white cloth bag was returned to Earth, despite being scheduled to remain on the moon, and was stashed in Armstrong’s closet until his death in 2012.Can You Identify These Western Corporate Logos in Chinese?http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/09/mehmet_gozetlik_s_chinatown_is_a_series_of_neon_signs_that_translate_corporate.html
<p>Our visual landscape is littered with corporate logos so seared into our brains that we barely have to glance in their direction for them to register.</p>
<p>Istanbul-based designer <a href="http://mehmetgozetlik.com/About">Mehmet G&ouml;zetlik </a>decided to imagine how Western brands might adapt their corporate logos for the world’s 1.3 billion Chinese speakers with “<a href="http://mehmetgozetlik.com/Chinatown">Chinatown</a>,” a series of Chinese-style neon signs based on familiar Western logos.</p>
<p>Replacing company names like Lego with the Chinese characters for the word for <em>toy</em>&nbsp;renders the logos legible for Chinese speakers but at times cryptic for those used to seeing them in their original forms.&nbsp;Although many of the brands G&ouml;zetlik&nbsp;considers already have a presence—and their own Chinese names—in China, the project is an interesting conceptual exercise that considers the challenges of translating visual corporate identities across cultural and linguistic barriers. &nbsp;</p>
<p>“ ‘Chinatown’ reflects our branded world of the near future,” G&ouml;zetlik writes in a project description. “Sooner or later, most major global brands will obviously need to adjust their meaning based on translation to demonstrate alignment with local Chinese culture and tastes. And most certainly they will collapse when the time comes, due to their existing brand structure that is built on western culture and Latin words.”</p>
<p>In the images below, the English translations of the Chinese characters are at the bottom of the frames.<br /> </p>
<p>Via <a href="http://www.designboom.com/art/mehmet-gozetlik-chinatown-chinese-translation-trademarks-02-09-2015/?utm_campaign=daily&amp;utm_medium=e-mail&amp;utm_source=subscribers"><em>Designboom</em></a></p>Mon, 09 Feb 2015 18:15:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/09/mehmet_gozetlik_s_chinatown_is_a_series_of_neon_signs_that_translate_corporate.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-02-09T18:15:00ZLifeCan You Identify These Western Corporate Logos in Chinese?242150209001designlanguagechinabrandingKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/09/mehmet_gozetlik_s_chinatown_is_a_series_of_neon_signs_that_translate_corporate.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Mehmet Gözetlik“Chinatown” is a series of Western logos rendered in neon signs and translated using Chinese characters by Istanbul-based designer Mehmet G&ouml;zetlik. In Chinese, this one reads “diet cola.”Drink Your Pumpkin Peach Ale in This Handblown Pint Glass Featuring a Replica of Mount Hoodhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/06/the_oregon_pint_from_north_drinkware_is_a_craft_beer_glass_that_features.html
<p>America’s crowdfunders <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/growlerwerks/the-ukegtm-pressurized-growler-for-fresh-beer">are thirsty</a> <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nicbarajas/beerio-your-personal-craft-beer-journal-app/description">for craft</a> <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ragingmammoth/the-sabertooth-the-ultimate-beer-drinkers-tool">beer</a> <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1032612808/white-squirrel-brewery">this winter</a>. Currently popular on Kickstarter is the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/northdrinkware/north-drinkware-mt-hood-the-oregon-pint-glass?ref=home_popular">Oregon Pint</a>, a handblown beer glass designed to <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2015/02/02/budweiser_super_bowl_ad_a_perfect_illustration_of_why_young_people_don_t.html">hold local brews</a>, with a replica of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Hood">Mount Hood</a> rising up from its bottom.</p>
<p>The Oregon-made pint glass from Portland-based startup <a href="http://www.northdrinkware.com/">North Drinkware</a>&nbsp;was fully funded five hours and 15 minutes after the Kickstarter project launched. It has since raised more than $330,000 of its $15,000 goal with 26 days to go.</p>
<p>The trio of friends behind the project used United States Geological Survey data depicting ridges, canyons, and the peak of Mount Hood to make a 3-D model of the mountain, which is molded into the bottom of each 16-ounce glass “so your beer cascades around the mountain when you pour it into the glass,” according to a project description. “Using The Oregon Pint delivers a connection to the mountains that surround us, and the satisfying experience of drinking a local crafted beer out of a local crafted glass.”</p>
<p>While they are focused on the Oregon Pint launch, the North Drinkware team says it is hoping to expand to other regions of the country and planning to develop glasses with signature landmarks molded into the bases in places like Washington, Vermont, California, and Colorado.</p>
<p>Learn more about the project on <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/northdrinkware/north-drinkware-mt-hood-the-oregon-pint-glass?ref=nav_search">Kickstarter</a>.</p>Fri, 06 Feb 2015 16:39:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/06/the_oregon_pint_from_north_drinkware_is_a_craft_beer_glass_that_features.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-02-06T16:39:00ZLifeDrink Your Pumpkin Peach Ale in This Handblown Pint Glass Featuring a Replica of Mount Hood242150206001beerdesignKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/06/the_oregon_pint_from_north_drinkware_is_a_craft_beer_glass_that_features.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of North DrinkwareThe Oregon Pint from startup North Drinkware uses 3-D modeling and handblown glass to create a pint with a replica of Mount Hood in the bottom.How Earthquakes, Consumerism, and Social Upheaval Drive California’s Offbeat Design Legacyhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/03/louise_sandhaus_explores_california_graphic_design_in_the_20th_century_in.html
<p>The recently published&nbsp;<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1938922611/?tag=slatmaga-20"><em>Earthquakes, Mudslides, Fires, and Riots: California and Graphic Design, 1936-1986</em></a>, edited and designed by <a href="http://www.lsd-studio.net/">Louise Sandhaus</a>, is a spirited, subjective, willfully undefinitive book that highlights some 250 examples of groundbreaking, offbeat 20<sup>th</sup>-century design from the Golden State.</p>
<p>In the book’s introduction, Sandhaus writes that California’s graphic design hasn’t received much attention, despite a body of work that “confirms all the stereotypes and expectations of a freewheeling West Coast culture where anything goes and everyone does her or his own thing.”</p>
<p>So what makes design Californian?</p>
<p>Sandhaus theorizes that California’s fluidity and sense of humor drives its design. “California has no terra firma—earthquakes, mudslides, fires, and the occasional civil uprising cause incessant upheaval and change,” she writes. Home to entertainment and technology industries and often defined by its consumerism, California “is a place of boundless reinvention and innovation … a place of great creativity, freedom, and social consciousness, where the status quo undergoes constant renovation. Without solid ground, tradition lacks secure footing; old rules go out the door and new motivations rush in, resulting in new and vibrant forms.”</p>
<p>Sandhaus, an award-winning designer and a professor at the&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Institute_of_the_Arts" title="California Institute of the Arts">California Institute of the Arts</a>, is careful to point out that she is not a design scholar and that <a href="http://www.artbook.com/9781938922619.html">her book</a> is not a comprehensive survey of California’s design history. It’s less a definitive guide, she says, than “a dinner party that serves only desserts. … &nbsp;The sugary offerings within these pages range from the obvious to the obscure. This is a heavily curated selection based on little more than the way the heart quickens when the eye encounters something radiant, wonderful, and new.”</p>
<p>The vibrantly designed book explores the transformation of European traditions in California; the culture of screen graphics, from film titles to video games; the influential women who shaped 20<sup>th</sup>-century design in California; and 1960s California graphic design.</p>
<p>“In the popular imagination, California graphic design of the sixties tends to conjure visions of posters, and posters of a very specific kind: those with Art Nouveau–inspired lettering and undulating colors that would come alive when viewed under the influence of marijuana, acid, or ’shrooms,” Sandhaus writes.</p>
<p>But she points out that those familiar images are only part of the story.</p>
<p>“<em>Variety</em>&nbsp;would be the defining word for sixties California graphics,” she writes. The graphics were characterized by a range of colors, flavors, and voices, including Beats, hippies, and political activists. “If there was a common theme, be it conscious, subconscious, or unconscious, it lies someplace within the desire and commitment to remake the look of the world.”</p>Tue, 03 Feb 2015 18:04:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/03/louise_sandhaus_explores_california_graphic_design_in_the_20th_century_in.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-02-03T18:04:00ZLifeWhat Makes California’s Graphic Design So Distinct?242150203001designgraphic designKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/03/louise_sandhaus_explores_california_graphic_design_in_the_20th_century_in.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Metropolis BooksNicolas Sidjakov’s symbol for Continental Airlines's “Celebration” ad campaign, late 1960s. Sidjakov employs bright color and groovy typographic stylization to express the hipness and glamour of air travel at the time.&nbsp;A Typeface Designer’s Illustrated Tour of How to Create a Fonthttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/02/obsidian_by_jonathan_hoefler_and_andy_clymer_of_hoefler_co_is_a_contemporary.html
<p>New York City–based<a href="http://www.typography.com/">&nbsp;Hoefler &amp; Co.</a>,&nbsp;<a></a>headed by award-winning type designer Jonathan Hoefler,&nbsp;has designed typefaces for magazines such as&nbsp;<em>Rolling Stone</em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>Sports Illustrated,</em>&nbsp;and its<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoefler_Text">&nbsp;Hoefler Text</a>&nbsp;family of typefaces has been included in Apple operating systems. Its newest font is<a href="http://www.typography.com/fonts/obsidian/overview/">&nbsp;Obsidian</a>, a contemporary typeface that mimics the elaborate decorative typography of the Industrial Revolution. Obsidian is derived from <a href="http://www.typography.com/fonts/surveyor/overview">Surveyor</a>, a font inspired by type used on engraved maps and charts; Surveyor’s authorship is a matter of personal disagreement between Hoefler and type designer Tobias Frere-Jones, whose <a href="http://nymag.com/news/features/jonathan-hoefler-tobias-frere-jones-2014-6/">much-covered</a> <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-04-08/font-war-inside-the-design-worlds-20-million-divorce">legal dispute</a>&nbsp;was <a href="http://www.frerejones.com/about/press/2014-10-30/">resolved</a> last fall.<a>*</a></p>
<p>“We began the Obsidian project with two questions: Can a decorated typeface pay homage to this tradition while being relevant to designers today, and what tools can we create to help us get there?” says Hoefler, who worked with senior typeface designer Andy Clymer on the project. To explore and draft the typeface’s decoration, they developed software to interpret two-dimensional letterforms as three-dimensional objects by applying virtual lighting that varied in position, angle, and intensity.</p>
<p>When it came to <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/14/tobias_frere_jones_on_how_font_naming_conventions_have_changed_with_the.html">naming the typeface</a>, Hoefler says the designers started by looking to Industrial Age figures like famous British railway engineers and architects who worked in cast iron, but the flinty look of the typeface soon turned their thoughts to geology.</p>
<p>“A long search for names (most of which end up being trademarked already) yielded what should have been obvious going in: Obsidian, a black volcanic glass whose flinty edges even resemble the shapes in the typeface,” Hoefler told me. “That it began with an <em>O</em> made it irresistible: That letter is especially dramatic in the typeface. Type designers like to use a font’s signature characters in the name, wherever possible.”</p>
<p>Below, Hoefler takes us on a brief illustrated tour of the design process for Obsidian.</p>
<p>Typeface designers draw fonts by manually plotting every line and curve in every letterform. Even simple shapes require complex geometry: Above, an ampersand has 36 connected curves. Elaborate typefaces like&nbsp;Obsidian are unmanageably tortuous: This ampersand alone would require the designer to draw and coordinate 284 different curves.</p>
<p>Building on a font whose exterior outlines had been completed, Clymer created a suite of proprietary tools to help apply complex decorations to font outlines. The process begins by dividing each of the more than&nbsp;<a href="http://www.typography.com/fonts/obsidian/characters/">1,400 characters</a>&nbsp;in the family into individual “panels” (above), each defined by western and eastern edges, shown here in green and orange.</p>
<p>Once the panels are established, a script divides each panel into slices, giving the font’s designers their first glimpse of what a “hatched” version of the typeface will look like. The number of slices for each panel can be adjusted independently to give the resulting letterform a more consistent texture: Above, different parts of this ampersand are divided into four, five, or six slices.</p>
<p>Having chosen the number of slices for each panel, Clymer’s script divides each slice into a series of shorter segments. The angle of each segment is compared with the direction of an imagined light source, to determine how “bright” it should be. Segments on the western and eastern faces are oppositely illuminated to create the illusion of dimensionality.</p>
<p>Finally, in its most complicated bit of mathematics, the script interprets the brightness of these connected segments as a set of continuous curves and generates its first draft as a working font. This font is used to create proofs that demonstrate the design in a variety of contexts, which are presented to the project editor for review.</p>
<p>During a font’s development, some of its biggest steps forward happen during the exchanges between designer and editor. As the company’s editorial director, Hoefler works with designers to refine and articulate a typeface’s goals, identify its most successful features, and improve its appearance. Some of these comments inspired Clymer to add new features to the software itself.</p>
<p>A refined version of Clymer’s software allowed him to individually light different parts of a character to achieve a more consistent overall effect. In panel No. 1 above, a raked light from above gives a “ball terminal” greater clarity. In panel No. 2, rotating the light source provides more balanced illumination to the bowl on the left side. In panel No. 3, side-lighting the main diagonal stroke gives it a defining contrast. The final character in panel No. 4 is a composite of these different highlights.</p>
<p>Above left, the first draft of Obsidian’s ampersand, compared with the final version at the right, showing the work of 10 months of revisions. Still another generation of tools made it possible to vary not only the angle of each light source but also its intensity, to help the designers better accentuate those details that best conveyed the illusion of dimensionality. Small details, like the tight interior corners, were refined by hand.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, it was the plainest letters in the alphabet that proved the most difficult to illuminate. At left above, the first draft of the capital <em>D</em>: Its rounded bowl catches the light nicely, but its straight vertical stem has a dull, uniform color. The solution was to alter the code so that highlighted stems become subtly brighter at the top and bottom and subtly thicker as they move from left to right.</p>
<p>Some characters revealed the need for new approaches. Serifs like those on the capital <em>E</em> couldn’t be extruded into a plausible three-dimensional form, so a new policy was needed to shade shapes like these. Overlaps in joined characters, like the <em>&aelig;</em> diphthong and <em>ffl</em> ligature, presented additional opportunities to heighten the illusion of dimensionality. Some characters were redesigned completely to catch the light in more interesting ways: The flat crossbars on the 7, 2, and 5 were replaced with flowing curves, and the linear dagger and double-dagger were refashioned in a more ornamental style.</p>
<p>A humble user interface conceals complex inner workings. Clymer’s shading tools were written in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.python.org/">Python</a>—long the language of choice for managing font data—and built as an extension for the&nbsp;<a href="http://doc.robofont.com/">RoboFont</a>&nbsp;font editor. Intuitive, modular libraries for&nbsp;<a href="https://github.com/typesupply/vanilla">building interfaces</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.drawbot.com/">rendering shapes</a>&nbsp;on screen make RoboFont a wonderful environment for invention. Shown above in color are the software’s best attempts to apply shading, based on the designer’s inputs; the black outlines reflect manual adjustments, introduced to improve the design of the letterform.</p>
<p><a></a>Above, characters from the finished typefaces&nbsp;<a href="http://www.typography.com/fonts/obsidian/styles/">Obsidian Roman</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.typography.com/fonts/obsidian/styles/">Obsidian Italic</a>. For decorative typefaces, Obsidian contains an unusually broad range of characters, with roman and italic small capitals,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.typography.com/fonts/obsidian/features/">swash caps and swash small caps</a>, and accents for more than 140 languages. Both fonts are also provided in “chromatic layers” so designers can independently control the color of the backgrounds and foregrounds.</p>
<p><em><strong>*Update, Feb. 5, 2015: </strong>This post has been updated to reflect&nbsp;that Jonathan Hoefler has received awards for his typeface design. It has also been updated to note Obsidian’s origins in the Surveyor font. (<a>Return</a>.)</em></p>Mon, 02 Feb 2015 17:14:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/02/obsidian_by_jonathan_hoefler_and_andy_clymer_of_hoefler_co_is_a_contemporary.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-02-02T17:14:00ZLifeThe “Unmanageably Tortuous” Process of Designing This Elaborate Font242150202001fontsdesignKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/02/02/obsidian_by_jonathan_hoefler_and_andy_clymer_of_hoefler_co_is_a_contemporary.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Hoefler & Co. Obsidian is a new typeface from Hoefler &amp; Co. &nbsp;Change the Height of This Slick Standing Desk by Holding Out Your Handhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/30/tableair_is_an_adjustable_height_standing_desk_that_rises_to_greet_your.html
<p>The <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/02/standstand_is_a_portable_standing_desk_designed_for_roving_laptop_users.html">standing desk</a> is an ongoing social and design experiment. Some people choose permanent standing work stations and bring their laptops to couches or tables when standing gets old. For most, the preference seems to be adjustable height furniture that can stand tall when you want to be on your feet and sink down to sitting height when you need to take a load off.</p>
<p>Recent adjustable desk variations range from Ikea’s bare-bones adjustable <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S39006322/">Bekant</a> to the high-end, high-tech <a href="http://www.stirworks.com">Stir</a>, which includes the ability to preprogram height options and team up with your Fitbit to track standing and sitting data for the quantified-self obsessed.</p>
<p>A new entry to this growing category is the <a href="http://www.tableair.com">TableAir</a> from London-based designer <a href="http://www.lukasluk.com/">Lukas Lukosevicius</a>. It’s a sleek, rectangular desk that comes in glossy white or black or, for an additional cost, American cherry wood or walnut. While at this point most standing desks look pretty similar, with straight or curved rectangular platforms mounted on four telltale adjustable metal legs, two things stand out about the TableAir design.</p>
<p>The first design feature is on the outside: an ambient-colored LED-lit panel around the periphery of the desk that has a handful of adjustable color variations. It’s a bit of pure design whimsy that either wins you over or doesn’t. This is the kind of lighting that’s more familiar as a decorative element on poolside hotel bars than corporate or home offices, but it adds a fun, sensual element to what is an otherwise straightforward look.</p>
<p>But the magic trick of a hidden design feature that intrigues me the most is the electric motor technology that allows you to adjust the height of the desk by pressing on a built-in “smart button” and outstretching your hand. The desk height ranges from about 2 feet to 4&frac12; feet.</p>
<p>“The most natural way of showing height is placing your hand in the air,” reads a product description. “Smart Button senses the distance to your hand and lifts TableAir to match the height. ... We looked at the height adjustment as an extension of your movement.” (A smartphone TableAir&nbsp;app also allows you to preprogram an automatic height change at preselected intervals.)</p>
<p>Lukosevicius says that electric motor technology makes the lifting process smooth and very silent, a claim that’s hard to test online or in the video below thanks to background music (although you can see the hand-raising technology in action):<br /> </p>
<p>But at $2,146, this on-trend piece of design and technology costs about 20 times more than the tech-free Ikea version but lower than competitors such as Stir. The TableAir currently ships to all European Union countries for a flat fee and the U.S. and other destinations on request.</p>
<p>The best part? It comes fully assembled, lowered to its lowest position so that all you have to do is plug it in and hold out your hand.</p>
<p>Via <em><a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/01/tableair/">Wired</a></em></p>Fri, 30 Jan 2015 17:34:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/30/tableair_is_an_adjustable_height_standing_desk_that_rises_to_greet_your.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-01-30T17:34:00ZLifeChange the Height of This Slick Standing Desk by Holding Out Your Hand242150130001designKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/30/tableair_is_an_adjustable_height_standing_desk_that_rises_to_greet_your.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of TableAirTableAir is an adjustable standing desk that rises to greet your outstretched hand.Barcelona Has the World’s Most Beautiful Stoner Museumhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/29/hash_marihuana_canamo_and_hemp_museum_of_barcelona_is_the_world_s_largest.html
<p>Until I spotted photos of the <a href="http://hempmuseumgallery.com/">Hash Marihuana C&aacute;&ntilde;amo and Hemp Museum of Barcelona</a> this week, accompanied by <a href="http://news.artnet.com/in-brief/worlds-biggest-cannabis-museum-opens-in-barcelona-234142">false reports</a> of its recent opening (the museum opened in 2012), I never really thought about what a stoner museum might look like. Certainly not like the Palau Mornau, a glorious, elegant 15<sup>th</sup>-century palace turned <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Modernista_buildings_in_Barcelona">Modernista</a>&nbsp;museum.</p>
<p>Until March 29, the museum is featuring a making-of exhibition that focuses on the decadelong renovation of the building, which was a cultural center as late as the 1990s and was purchased in 2002 by Dutch cannabis seed and hemp entrepreneur<a href="http://sensiseeds.com/en/blog/about-sensi-seeds/sensi-seeds-family-company/ben-dronkers/"> Ben Dronkers</a>.</p>
<p>The first stone of the Palau Mornau was laid in the 15<sup>th</sup> century, and the building was later completely renovated by Modernista architect Manuel Raspall in 1908. The highlights of his renovation include a faux stone fa&ccedil;ade, wrought-iron balconies adorned with floral motifs, and a stained glass bow window. By the time Dronkers bought it, it was “in a truly deplorable state,” according to museum spokesman Ferenz Jacobs. He said that Dronkers fell in love with Barcelona while visiting one of his daughters, who was studying there. “During one of his visits, he found this amazing Modernista palace, which was for sale at the time, and he knew this was the perfect place to hold a part of his very extensive collection about the history and uses of cannabis while also restoring an important national monument,” Jacobs says.</p>
<p>Architect <a href="http://jordiromeu.net/?p=833&amp;lang=en">Jordi Romeu</a> was enlisted to restore the building to its former glory and house what is now the self-titled “largest museum in the world dedicated to the culture of cannabis.” (A sister museum in Amsterdam claims to attract more than 100,000 visitors a year.) Take that, <a href="http://www.cmchh.org/">Denver</a>.</p>Thu, 29 Jan 2015 16:23:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/29/hash_marihuana_canamo_and_hemp_museum_of_barcelona_is_the_world_s_largest.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-01-29T16:23:00ZLifeBarcelona Has the World’s Most Beautiful Stoner Museum242150129001architecturemarijuanadesignKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/29/hash_marihuana_canamo_and_hemp_museum_of_barcelona_is_the_world_s_largest.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of the Hash Marihuana Cáñamo and Hemp Museum of BarcelonaThe Hash Marihuana C&aacute;&ntilde;amo and Hemp Museum of Barcelona. &nbsp;The Cubitat Shrinks an Entire House Into One Compact Cubehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/27/cubitat_from_urban_capital_and_nichetto_studios_is_a_compact_home_in_a_box.html
<p>Those on a quest to rethink small-space living build <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/05/07/a_new_memoir_about_living_small_the_big_tiny_by_dee_williams_published_by.html">tiny houses</a>, install <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/23/heijmans_one_are_movable_rentals_for_young_single_person_households.html">pop-up rentals on vacant lots</a>, and design portable <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/06/17/c_1m2_ge_clei_design_micro_kitchens_for_urban_nomads.html">10-square-foot microkitchens</a> tucked inside armoires. Presented over the weekend at Toronto’s <a href="http://www.interiordesignshow.com/feature-exhibits/cubitat/">Interior Design Show</a>, Cubitat is a 10-by-10-by-10-foot cube that houses a kitchen, bathroom, bed, laundry, and storage. &nbsp;</p>
<p>Once plumbing and electric are hooked up, the structure can theoretically turn any dwelling into what the developers are calling a “plug and play” living space that looks something like a giant’s Rubik’s cube and seems to beg to be painted in Mondrian colors. &nbsp;</p>
<p>A collaboration between Toronto-based <a href="http://urbancapital.ca/">Urban Capital</a> developers David Wex and Mark Reeve (the team behind <a href="http://smarthousetoronto.com/">Smart House </a>microcondos) and designer <a href="http://www.lucanichetto.com/">Luca Nichetto</a>, the prefab cube—which is still in the prototype phase—can be customized online and shipped to its destination.</p>
<p>“Cubitat is about a more intelligent, holistic way to design and construct our living environments, taking cues from the prefab world and modern production methods,” says Wex. “As a builder we look at the automotive, consumer product and tech industries and ask why we can’t operate with that much rapidity and flexibility.”</p>
<p>The concept is appealing but problematic: For the moment, Cubitat comes assembled in one giant piece. So although it looked great in the large, light-filled exhibition space at the Toronto show, figuring out how to get this giant module through the doors of most existing structures is an obvious obstacle (unless you’re lowering it into a roofless barn or sliding it into a converted double garage).</p>
<p>Despite the Cubitat’s size problem, the designers envisioned the cube as a theoretically mobile object, based on the concept of a transformable home. “The idea is to hoist and slide Cubitat onto a condo floor mid-construction. Build a platform for Cubitat in the cottage country of your dreams. Ship Cubitat from the city to the country so you retire in your own home,” a project description states.</p>
<p>Via <em><a href="http://www.treehugger.com/modular-design/cubitat-packs-guts-home-prefabricated-cube.html">Treehugger</a></em></p>Tue, 27 Jan 2015 17:18:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/27/cubitat_from_urban_capital_and_nichetto_studios_is_a_compact_home_in_a_box.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-01-27T17:18:00ZLifeThis Prefab Cube Shrinks an Entire House Into One Tiny Structure242150127001Kristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/27/cubitat_from_urban_capital_and_nichetto_studios_is_a_compact_home_in_a_box.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of CubitatCubitat is a 10-by-10-by-10-foot cube that houses a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and storage.These Whimsical 3-D Ceramics Look Like Cartoon Drawings of Everyday Objectshttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/26/katharine_morling_makes_3_d_ceramic_sculptures_that_look_like_black_and.html
<p>London-based artist <a href="http://katharinemorling.co.uk">Katharine Morling</a> makes ceramic sculptures of woodland creatures and colorful still lives of fruit and flora. But it’s the cartoonish, hand-rendered, black-and-white renditions of everyday objects—a blank page and pen, an old typewriter, a box of matches, an old sewing machine, a chainsaw—that are the most arresting, inviting nostalgia and reflection. Even in photographs, they look like a sketchbook sprung to life.</p>
<p>In an artist's statement, Morling describes her work as 3-D drawings “in the medium of ceramics.” Her works are life-sized, creating “a slightly surreal experience,” she says. “Each piece, on the surface, an inanimate object, has been given layers of emotion and embedded with stories, which are open for interpretation in the viewer’s mind.”</p>Mon, 26 Jan 2015 18:01:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/26/katharine_morling_makes_3_d_ceramic_sculptures_that_look_like_black_and.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-01-26T18:01:00ZLifeThese Whimsical 3-D Ceramics Look Like Cartoon Drawings of Everyday Objects242150126001designartKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/26/katharine_morling_makes_3_d_ceramic_sculptures_that_look_like_black_and.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Katharine MorlingA chainsaw made from ceramics by London-based artist Katharine Morling. &nbsp;These Sleek Pop-Up Rentals Designed for Urban Millennials Redefine Prefab Housinghttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/23/heijmans_one_are_movable_rentals_for_young_single_person_households.html
<p>To battle a tight housing market in Amsterdam that is hard on an ever-increasing number of single renters, Dutch building company&nbsp;<a href="http://www.heijmans.nl/en/">Heijmans</a>&nbsp;(which also built this dreamy&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/14/van_gogh_roosegaarde_bike_path_based_on_van_gogh_s_starry_night_glows_in.html"><em>Starry Night</em>–inspired bike path</a>&nbsp;in the Netherlands) has come up with a clever idea: planting prefab pop-up rental houses on vacant city lots that offer singles design-friendly, affordable, quality temporary housing in urban centers.</p>
<p>These movable dwellings are designed to rent to young, single-person households for a reasonable 700 euros ($788) per month as temporary residences located on vacant lots that are in redevelopment limbo and otherwise eyesores on urban landscapes.</p>
<p>Each two-story house is roughly 484 square feet and is equipped with a kitchen, bathroom, living room, and loft bedroom. They are designed to be airy and light, with high vaulted ceilings, big windows, recycled wood facades, and outdoor terraces.</p>
<p>“The prevention of a homogeneous ‘Construction Site Trailer’ complex was one of the biggest challenges in this type of movable housing,” architect Tim van der Grinten of MoodWorks Architecture said in a project description. “How can we give the occupant a sense of individuality? The architecture of this compact house is characterised by natural materials, space, openness and identity. It is a clearly recognisable property that you can make your own. It is a space a young single person can be proud of.”</p>
<p>Arjan Hofmann of Heijmans told me in an email that the project was inspired by young professionals in the Netherlands who make too much to qualify for subsidized housing but can’t afford high city rents and aren’t yet able to buy, as well as a way to spruce up vacant urban areas. He said that Heijmans may expand the project to other renters, such as middle-aged and older people who live alone, those seeking short-term housing during renovations, or expatriates on temporary assignments.</p>
<p>The houses are prefabricated and can be installed on-site in 24 hours and easily moved. Hofmann says that the average length of a lease is expected to be about five years, although that would depend on the landowners and city regulations. The houses have an expected lifespan of 25 to 30 years and are currently connected to existing infrastructure for water, sewage, and electricity, although Hofmann says they are experimenting with solar roof panels with an ultimate goal of making the houses self-supporting.</p>
<p>The first two Heijmans One houses were installed last month in a not very neighborhood-y vacant lot in an underdeveloped part of Amsterdam (as seen above). The rendering below offers a more optimistic take on what a cluster of pop-up houses might do for an otherwise bleak landscape:</p>
<p>One is a test residence for prospective tenants, and the other is currently housing 28-year-old Carmen Felix, a website writer and editor who is the project’s ambassador and is living in the house for three months rent-free. Felix told me in an email that although there are people living nearby, she misses basics like a supermarket close by, but she is otherwise enjoying the house. “All my friends love it, especially [because] it feels like a little hotel and I finally have my own, real place,” she says. Would she stay on after the experiment is over? “I could definitely see myself living in a Heijmans One. I would love to.”</p>
<p>Hofmann says that the company is planning to launch 30 Heijmans One houses, most likely in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Den Bosch, at the end of the summer. “We’re also working out how to answer the international interest,” he says, adding that they have had inquiries from New York, San Francisco, Ohio, Paris, London, Berlin, Barcelona, Australia, Mexico, Denmark, and around the world. “Our ambition isn’t limited to the Netherlands.”</p>Fri, 23 Jan 2015 17:49:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/23/heijmans_one_are_movable_rentals_for_young_single_person_households.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-01-23T17:49:00ZLifeThese Sleek Pop-Up Rentals Designed for Broke Millennials Redefine Prefab Housing242150123001designhousingKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/23/heijmans_one_are_movable_rentals_for_young_single_person_households.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Reinout van den BerghThe first two Heijmans One houses went up on a vacant lot in Amsterdam last month.The Classical Piano Gets a Radical Makeoverhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/22/gergely_bog_nyi_piano_by_louis_renner_gives_the_classical_instrument_a_radical.html
<p>So many of life’s familiar objects are constantly redesigned according to the whims of fashion and the latest trends. But the curves of a classical music instrument seem almost sacred, inviting design changes—apart from exceptions such as&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2013/10/16/cello_2_0_will_innovative_design_turn_more_people_into_musicians.html">this 21<sup>st</sup>-century cello</a>—that tend to be of the nip-and-tuck variety, preserving familiar forms and ageless appeal. Even <a href="http://www.google.fr/imgres?imgurl=http://i.lv3.hbo.com/assets/images/movies/behind-the-candelabra/slideshow/production-design/production-design18-1024.jpg&amp;imgrefurl=http://www.hbo.com/movies/behind-the-candelabra/slideshow/production-slideshow.html&amp;h=576&amp;w=1024&amp;tbnid=-SHTUQSQoouNaM:&amp;zoom=1&amp;tbnh=90&amp;tbnw=160&amp;usg=__Sc_lKf0GdUcAG7b-1KiFtW43TIg=&amp;docid=u29zS3M8oPAa6M&amp;sa=X&amp;ei=bPrAVIyRE5LSaM-BgoAL&amp;ved=0CDQQ9QEwAg">Liberace’s piano</a>, after all, is really only a tarted-up version of a classical shape.</p>
<p>But this week Hungarian pianist&nbsp;<a href="http://www.boganyi-piano.com/en/piano">Gergely&nbsp;Bog&aacute;nyi</a>&nbsp;unveiled a radical redesign of the grand piano, a project he initiated in order to make it sound the way he heard it in his head. Produced by <a href="http://www.louisrenner.com/">Louis&nbsp;Renner</a>, a world-renowned German company that specializes in making&nbsp;<a href="http://www.louisrenner.com/renner-action.asp">piano actions and hammerheads</a>,&nbsp;Bog&aacute;nyi&nbsp;and a team of designers and engineers spent more than a decade rethinking the piano’s 18,000 parts from the inside out.</p>
<p>Bog&aacute;nyi&nbsp;writes on the piano’s promotional website that he is following in the footsteps of the great Hungarian composer and pianist&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Liszt">Franz Liszt</a>, who worked with 19<sup>th</sup>-century piano manufactures to improve the instrument’s sound to match the expectations he had in his mind. The new piano, Bog&aacute;nyi says, “is born out of deep love, and humble respect for classical piano tradition, built upon a lifetime desire to improve upon it with fresh innovation in sound and design.”</p>
<p>Bog&aacute;nyi’s piano incorporates a weather-resistant composite soundboard within a modified traditional iron-and-wood piano frame that creates a stable, clear sound in all climates and allows the instrument to stay in tune longer than a traditional piano.&nbsp;Bog&aacute;nyi&nbsp;says he was inspired by traveling the world with his piano tuner, who was constantly trying to create a consistent, quality sound in every piano. “It was always so difficult with each concert hall having such different conditions that affected the piano,”&nbsp;Bog&aacute;nyi&nbsp;says. “Dryness, dust, humidity were always a factor. Could we find a way to keep this quality consistent?”</p>
<p>It’s difficult to get a sense of how the redesign affects sound quality by watching the brief promotional video below, in which the human playing the piano is strangely absent. (You can listen to additional excerpts of the piano’s&nbsp;sound&nbsp;<a href="http://www.boganyi-piano.com/cd/sound-beyond-time/">on its website</a> or watch video of the pianist playing the instrument from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/20/us-hungary-piano-idUSKBN0KT1V720150120">Reuters</a>.)</p>
<p>But it doesn’t take a classical music expert to see that this looks nothing like a traditional piano. A commenter on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.dezeen.com/2015/01/22/gergely-boganyi-grand-piano-curvaceous-sculptural-alternative/"><em>Dezeen</em></a>&nbsp;called it “the love child of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.vernerpanton.com/">Verner&nbsp;Panton</a>&nbsp;and a Steinway.” Another said: “I want to drive this piano on the [Autobahn].” The manufacturers say that the design is based on the movements and flows of classical music, with curves and clean lines that make it a contemporary piece of functional art that keeps pace with the world’s new performing art spaces. It notes that the piano only has two legs instead of the traditional three “to allow an additional bottom passage for the sound to reach the audience.”</p>
<p>But why redesign the piano, invented around 1700, for the 21<sup>st</sup> century?</p>
<p>In an essay included in the piano’s brochure, music historian and piano technician János Mácsai notes that in the second half of the 18<sup>th</sup> century, the&nbsp;fortepiano&nbsp;was in constant development, with new models becoming obsolete after five years until the 1880s. These changes were a dynamic force in the compositions and playing styles of classical greats including Haydn, Beethoven, Liszt, and Chopin, each of whom had his preferences. Mácsai &nbsp;adds that the piano had evolved by the end of the 19<sup>th</sup> century to be able to fill large concert halls with sound and stand up to orchestras, at which point the development of the instrument stalled. He points out that 98 percent of the world’s concert halls use a Steinway Model D.</p>
<p>“If today someone starts to develop a piano, he does so not to make one better than before,” Mácsai writes, also noting that classical repertoires favored by audiences are “not exactly fresh either.” Musicians and designers such as Bog&aacute;nyi do so, he writes, “because they want something different. A different sonority, a different weighting of inner parts, a different resonance, the different manifestation of physical and intellectual energies, in short, different possibilities.”</p>Thu, 22 Jan 2015 16:42:38 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/22/gergely_bog_nyi_piano_by_louis_renner_gives_the_classical_instrument_a_radical.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-01-22T16:42:38ZLifeThe Classical Piano Gets a Radical Makeover242150122001designmusicKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/22/gergely_bog_nyi_piano_by_louis_renner_gives_the_classical_instrument_a_radical.htmlfalsefalsefalseLe Monde’s&nbsp;New Paris Headquarters Design Bridges the Paper&nbsp;With Its Readershttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/20/snohetta_s_le_monde_headquarters_plan_offers_an_open_design_and_public_space.html
<p><a href="http://www.lemonde.fr/actualite-medias/article/2015/01/15/le-nouveau-siege-du-groupe-le-monde_4557039_3236.html#k5zgvzssgrOkgPuM.99"><em>Le Monde</em></a> has announced plans to build a new headquarters near the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_d%27Austerlitz_%28Paris_M%C3%A9tro%29">Gare d’Austerlitz</a> in the 13<sup>th</sup> arrondissement of Paris. The winning design came from <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/13/norway_chooses_pixelated_banknote_designs_from_snohetta_design_for_its_new.html">Snohetta</a>, which will build the new headquarters with local partner&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sra-architectes.com/">SRA</a>&nbsp;for France’s paper of record, founded in 1944 at the request of Charles de Gaulle.</p>
<p>Word that the <a href="http://www.sdllemonde.fr/le-groupe-le-monde">Le Monde&nbsp;Group</a>, which includes the paper and several magazines, is planning to build an ambitious, futuristic headquarters is optimistic news for the business of publishing. That the news was unveiled a week after the unprecedented attacks at the<em> <a href="http://www.slate.com/topics/c/charlie_hebdo.html">Charlie Hebdo</a></em> offices in Paris makes its design all the more worth considering. The building, <a href="http://snohetta.com/">Snohetta</a>’s first Paris project, aims to act as a bridge between the publication and its readers with public spaces that include a visitor center, auditorium, caf&eacute;, seating, and green areas built to welcome the public and serve as a stage for public gatherings.</p>
<p>“The evolution of media is in focus and in particular the future relationship between readers and media users, the production of media on different platforms and their connection to the public at large,” the designers write in a project description. “The Le Monde Group has chosen a generous, open and accessible model. In this context, Snohetta shall continue to strive for an architecture providing the public with the notion of ownership, emphasizing intimate relationships between the public and <em>Le Monde</em>.”</p>
<p>I asked the designers if the recent attacks on<em> Charlie Hebdo</em> meant that the design would be revised in light of security concerns.</p>
<p>“<em>Le Monde</em> has chosen a concept based on openness, generosity and accessibility for the public,” Snohetta spokeswoman Julie Skogheim wrote in an email. “This shows a position which clearly defies fortification of their brand and services.”</p>Tue, 20 Jan 2015 16:51:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/20/snohetta_s_le_monde_headquarters_plan_offers_an_open_design_and_public_space.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-01-20T16:51:00ZLife<em>Le Monde</em>’s&nbsp;New Paris Headquarters Design Bridges the Paper&nbsp;With Its Readers242150120001designarchitecturemediaKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/20/snohetta_s_le_monde_headquarters_plan_offers_an_open_design_and_public_space.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of SnohettaDesigned by Snohetta, the new <em>Le Monde</em> headquarters will emphasize the intimate relationship between the paper and its readers with open, accessible architecture as seen in this rendering.These Adorable Human-Powered Concept Vehicles Test the Lines Between Car and Bikehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/16/future_cycles_from_the_future_people_are_human_powered_car_bike_hybrid_vehicles.html
<p>Currently on display at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit are two human-powered concept cars that offer an alternative vision of how a futuristic vehicle might look and operate. “Future Cycles” from Ann Arbor, Michigan-based designers <a href="http://www.cameronvandyke.com">Cameron van Dyke</a> and <a href="http://www.rachaelvandyke.com">Rachael van Dyke</a> of <a href="http://www.thefuturepeople.us">The Future People</a> are human-powered vehicles that offer “the weather protection and carrying capacity of a car with the efficiency of a bicycle to create a ‘hybrid’ vehicle—half car and half bicycle.”</p>
<p>Cameron van Dyke says that they wanted to see how far they could push the legal definition of a bicycle to create a carlike experience with low energy output. “In doing this we hope to get people to consider if there might be better ways to transport ourselves around the American infrastructure,” he says.</p>
<p>First is Cyclone, which the designers call “a human-powered retro-futuristic luxury vehicle.” Two riders are required to peddle it from the front seat (with space for two passengers in the back). It’s made using a combination of boat-building and bicycle technology, with brushed aluminum details and a leather and mahogany interior.</p>
<p>The designers call the smaller, lighter, and more aerodynamic three-wheeled Zeppelin “a human electric hybrid vehicle.” Inspired by Buckminster Fuller’s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dymaxion_car">Dymaxion car</a>, it’s powered by two riders plus a 750w electric rear motor and can cruise up to 25 mph on flat ground. Made of aluminum and polycarbonate, it weighs in at 270 pounds, has a 20-mile electric range, and gets the equivalent of 700 miles per gallon. “The motivation for this project is to explore alternative value systems in transportation,” Cameron van Dyke explains. “It is about questioning our country’s energy use, health, safety, and access to travel. ... My hope is to get people to imagine new possibilities for the way we travel.”</p>
<p>Future Cycles will be on display at Detroit’s auto show through Jan. 25. Check out the video below to see the Zeppelin in action.</p>
<p>Via <em><a href="http://www.designboom.com/design/the-future-people-future-cycles-human-powered-vehicles-naias-2015-01-14-2015/">Designboom</a></em></p>Fri, 16 Jan 2015 16:37:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/16/future_cycles_from_the_future_people_are_human_powered_car_bike_hybrid_vehicles.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-01-16T16:37:00ZLifeThese Adorable Human-Powered Concept Vehicles Test the Lines Between Car and Bike242150116001designbikescarstransportationKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/16/future_cycles_from_the_future_people_are_human_powered_car_bike_hybrid_vehicles.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of The Future PeopleThe Zeppelin from Ann Arbor, Michigan-based designers The Future People is a human-powered bike-car hybrid inspired by Buckminster Fuller’s Dymaxion car.Gorgeous Limited-Edition NYC Subway Posters From the Transit Map’s Late Designerhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/15/nyc_subway_posters_from_massimo_vignelli_and_superwarmred_designs_feature.html
<p>The design world lost a beloved giant with the death of Massimo Vignelli in May of 2014. Last fall, the <em>New York City Transit Authority Graphics Standards Manual</em> that Vignelli co-designed in the 1960s was <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/15/nyc_transit_authority_graphics_standards_manual_by_massimo_vignelli_and.html">reissued as a limited-edition book</a>. And now <a href="http://superwarmred.com">SuperWarmRed Designs</a>’ Beatriz Cifuentes and Yoshiki Waterhouse, Vignelli’s associates for the last 15 years of his life, are offering both signed and unsigned limited-edition posters of the MTA New York City subway diagram that the trio designed together in 2012 for use in the MTA’s <a href="http://web.mta.info/weekender.html">Weekender</a> website and app.</p>
<p>Based on Vignelli’s subway map design of 1972, the new diagram was updated with satellite data and revised to reflect the current system, colors, and nomenclature. It’s printed in Pantone and Hexachrome inks on archival paper and will likely become part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art this year.*</p>
<p>SuperWarmRed also plans to soon release a delightful series of six limited-edition posters designed by Cifuentes, Waterhouse, and Vignelli in 2013. They will be sold as a set in a small, non-numbered limited edition.</p>
<p>I asked the designers about the posters, which are as beautiful, cheerful, and brightly colored as the NYC subway is not. They told me in an email that the design was based on an idea they had when building the subway diagram on the computer.</p>
<p>“Zooming in and out on our large displays to perfect small details, we noticed how interesting it would be to blow up the diagram, and immediately began making small sketches,” Cifuentes and Waterhouse said. “A couple of years passed before an opportunity to use the idea arose. The three of us sat at the computer looking for interesting crops, beginning with the interchange at Atlantic Av in Brooklyn. We made it a rule for the crops to be at consistent scale.”</p>
<p><em><strong>*Update, Jan. 15, 2015:&nbsp;</strong>This post has been updated to clarify that the poster’s acceptance into the MoMA’s permanent collection is likely but not certain. A committee will meet in March to debate this matter.</em></p>Thu, 15 Jan 2015 16:55:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/15/nyc_subway_posters_from_massimo_vignelli_and_superwarmred_designs_feature.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-01-15T16:55:00ZLifeGorgeous Limited-Edition NYC Subway Posters From the Transit Map’s Late Designer242150115001designmass transitKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/15/nyc_subway_posters_from_massimo_vignelli_and_superwarmred_designs_feature.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of SuperWarmRed DesignsThe set of six limited-edition posters feature vividly colored zoomed-in details of the NYC subway map.London Department Store Celebrates Creatives of a Certain Age in “Bright Old Things” Campaignhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/12/selfridges_london_bright_old_things_celebrates_second_acts_from_creatives.html
<p>Since 2011, the British department store <a href="http://www.selfridges.com/">Selfridges</a> has kicked off the new year with its annual Bright Young Things campaign, showcasing emerging young design talent. But this year the venerable century-old department store decided to turn the <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/lexicon_valley/2015/01/04/bright_young_thing_firecracker_whip_smart_compliments_that_may_be_backhanded.html">bright young thing</a> trope on its head. Reinventing its annual talent showcase as a celebration of <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/life/the_hive.html">second acts</a>, Bright Old Things features artists and designers ranging in age from late-40s to mid-80s.</p>
<p>“This year we're celebrating the retirement renaissance and 14 inspiring individuals who've embraced a new vocation later in life,” reads a description on Selfridges website. “Selfridges acknowledges that ‘old’ is as subjective as it is irrelevant. Hand-picked talents, some who will be instantly recognizable, and some entirely new names, have been chosen to take part on the basis that they have undergone a ‘retirement renaissance,’ a complete career change or an inspiring step into the unknown.”</p>
<p>The Bright Old Things lineup includes fiftysomething retailer turned menswear designer <a href="http://www.selfridges.com/content/article/bright-old-things-nick-wooster?cm_sp=botlanding-_-profile-_-nickwooster">Nick Wooster</a>; octogenarian <a href="http://www.selfridges.com/content/article/bright-old-things-molly-parkin?cm_sp=botlanding-_-profile-_-mollyparkin">Molly Parkin</a>, a fashion editor who turned to painting at age 55; 61-year-old architect turned topiarist <a href="http://www.selfridges.com/content/article/bright-old-things-tim-bushe?cm_sp=botlanding-_-profile-_-timbushe">Tim Bushe</a>; and food writer turned artist <a href="http://www.selfridges.com/content/article/bright-old-things-sue-kreitzman?cm_sp=botlanding-_-profile-_-suekreitzman">Sue Kreitzman</a>.</p>
<p>Each of the participants was given the blank canvas of a store window at Selfridge’s London flagship on Oxford Street, the city’s most commercial shopping artery, where an estimated 1 million people pass by every week. The window displays are meant as stage sets to offer glimpses of each designer’s creative process.</p>
<p>The department store called on photographer <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2013/12/23/photographer_todd_selby_creates_a_jewelry_line_for_your_camera.html">Todd Selby</a> to create <a href="http://www.selfridges.com/content/article/bright-old-things/?cm_re=Homepage-_-Slide1-_-BrightOldThings">portraits</a> and <a href="http://www.selfridges.com/content/article/bright-old-things?cm_sp=botprofile-_-sallypeplow-_-viewall">illustrated Q&amp;As</a> of the creatives at home and at work.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“As a centenary-old department store which has been successfully reinventing itself over and over again, it made so much sense for us to shine a light on the wealth of talent and experience harnessed by bright older creatives,” Selfridges creative director Linda Hewson said in a press release. “These people can definitely teach us all a thing or two about growing old whilst staying young at heart and relevant.”</p>
<p>The showcase and a popup boutique runs through the end of February at Selfridges; merchandise from the designers ranging from artwork to furniture and fashion can also be found <a href="http://www.selfridges.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/FhBrowse?freeText=EDIT+BRIGHT+OLD+THINGS&amp;srch=Y&amp;cm_sp=botprofile-_-mollyparkin-_-boutiqueshopnow">online</a>. &nbsp;</p>Mon, 12 Jan 2015 16:30:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/12/selfridges_london_bright_old_things_celebrates_second_acts_from_creatives.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-01-12T16:30:00ZLifeLondon Department Store Celebrates Creatives of a Certain Age in “Bright Old Things” Campaign242150112001designagingKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/12/selfridges_london_bright_old_things_celebrates_second_acts_from_creatives.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of SelfridgesFrom left, Den Woods, Bruno Wizard, Robert Roope, Sue Kreitzman, Molly Parkin, Tim Bushe, Sand Laurenson, Roger Miles, Michael Lisle-Taylor, William Forbes-Hamilton, and Andrew Ekins in the Bright Old Things boutique at London's Selfridges department store. &nbsp;Three Days in Parishttp://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/foreigners/2015/01/life_in_paris_during_charlie_hebdo_terrorist_attacks_fear_mourning_and_speculation.html
<p><a href="http://www.slate.com/topics/c/charlie_hebdo.html">For other <strong><em>Slate</em></strong> coverage of the <em>Charlie Hebdo</em> shootings, click here.</a></p>
<p>PARIS—On the first Wednesday of every month, France’s system of World War II-era air-raid warning sirens <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8JGt6Jqg8w">sounds</a> for monthly testing at noon. It’s a startling reminder of wars past, an anachronism in peaceful modern-day Paris.<strong></strong></p>
<p><a href="https://soundcloud.com/colin-hunter/binaural-police-siren-paris">The two-tone sound</a> of police sirens is usually a mere flourish in the ambient soundtrack of my Parisian life. But it has been blaring virtually nonstop since Wednesday, as the city has been in a state of attack and mourning and panicked suspense after the tragic and surreal chain of events that began with the massacre on <a href="http://www.charliehebdo.fr/index.html"><em>Charlie Hebdo</em></a>.<strong></strong></p>
<p>From my seventh-floor windows in the Marais, on a street that was laid out in 1270, I feel grounded in history and look out over an unchanging view of Paris. No billboards or skyscrapers are allowed to mar the view in my protected historic inner-city neighborhood; all I see when I look out are rooftops, chimneys, the Eiffel Tower, and Sacr&eacute;-Coeur on a hill across town. But the sirens have been an inescapable reminder that what once felt like a haven from the routine gun violence that plagues other countries has turned into a war zone, with three shootings in three days and a hostage crisis that began Friday morning, escalated at lunch, and ended just before sunset.<strong></strong></p>
<p>I was on a day trip to London the day of the massacre, unaware of what had happened a mere 10-minute stroll from my apartment until I spotted a notice at the train station asking for information about the attacks.</p>
<p>I rode through the tail end of the vigil on the Place de la R&eacute;publique in a taxi just before midnight, my Pakistani driver comparing the day’s events to the recent <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2014/12/fighters-attack-army-run-school-pakistan-20141216742794184.html">massacre</a> in his own country and repeating like a lullaby the phrase that no man had a right to take another man’s life.<strong></strong></p>
<p>The French president declared Thursday a national day of mourning, and it was. A kind of dullness descended on the city, and I caught up with teary friends and the news coverage and saw the dozens of defiant responses to the tragedy, the cartoons in homage to the fallen cartoonists, the mighty pens held aloft, the English-language message spelled out by the assembled on the Place de la R&eacute;publique: NOT AFRAID.</p>
<p>But if Thursday we were sad, Friday we were afraid. When news of a second shooting and the death of a young policewoman was announced Thursday while the hunt was on for the heavily armed brothers, it was almost too much to process. Paris wasn’t burning, but it seemed to be breaking down. Was it a random act of violence, or some kind of aftershock? Was it the beginning of something, or the end?</p>
<p>Then Friday morning started with gunfire and a hostage taking, as the murderous Kouachi brothers holed up in a small family printing business near Charles de Gaulle airport, and at lunchtime a kosher grocery was the site of another hostage taking by Amedy Coulibaly, the gunman who killed the policewoman Thursday. It was a day in which mourning turned to panic, speculation, dread, and the kind of vague, visceral, suspenseful fear that makes it hard to breathe. We listened to the radio, stared at our screens, fielded emails from friends and relatives in other places, waited for something to break. In the late afternoon, the police ordered shops in the Jewish quarter to shut down early as a precaution. Before sunset the killers had all been killed, the remaining hostages set free while we waited for the death toll.</p>
<p>My editors asked me to write about what it feels like to be in Paris today, as journalists on the ground do, but I feel too emotional and bewildered to be a journalist tonight. It will take some time to sort out the events of the last few days, to try and understand what it means for France, to grapple with whatever comes next. After the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Paris_M%C3%A9tro_and_RER_bombings">M&eacute;tro bombings in 1995</a>, I learned something about Parisian grit and resilience, and the French people’s ability to intellectualize the hell out of a modern-day tragedy, putting the horrifying things that human beings do to one another into a world-weary historical context that was oddly reassuring. But it’s clear that the events of the last few days have already become a defining moment that will change the French psyche in ways that nobody yet knows. Will they fuel the already palpable tensions between certain Arabs and Jews, galvanize the anti-Islamic, ignite the xenophobic far right, polarize or unite? I will be the first to admit that I am the last one to know.</p>
<p>The sirens are still sounding, and while we are no longer in lockdown, the government hasn’t lifted its terror alert while Paris prepares “massive security measures” for a march in homage to the victims on Sunday, to which the French president has invited several European leaders. A few minutes ago, a press statement from Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, arrived in my inbox, summarizing the events of the day. “Tonight, Paris is once again in mourning,” Hidalgo writes. “After the odious attack against <em>Charlie Hebdo</em> Wednesday, today the Jewish community was targeted by terrorists who took hostages in a kosher store in the Porte de Vincennes in the 20th arrondissement. There are no words that can express the terror we all feel in the face of these barbarous and inhuman acts that touch each and every one of us.”</p>Fri, 09 Jan 2015 22:52:48 GMThttp://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/foreigners/2015/01/life_in_paris_during_charlie_hebdo_terrorist_attacks_fear_mourning_and_speculation.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-01-09T22:52:48ZA haven from gun violence turned into a war zone.News and PoliticsThree Days in Paris: When Mourning Turned to Panic, Speculation, and Dread100150109028charlie hebdoterrorismparisKristin HohenadelForeignershttp://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/foreigners/2015/01/life_in_paris_during_charlie_hebdo_terrorist_attacks_fear_mourning_and_speculation.htmlfalsefalsefalsePhoto by Dan Kitwood/Getty ImagesResidents return to their homes following the hostage situation at Port de Vincennes on Jan. 9, 2015, in Paris. Four hostages are reported to have been killed, as well as the two suspected gunmen involved in the attack on <em>Charlie Hebdo</em> earlier this week.The Hotel That Inspired&nbsp;The Shining&nbsp;Wants Fans to Design Its New Hedge Mazehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/09/the_stanley_hotel_hosts_a_design_competition_to_recreate_the_maze_from_the.html
<p>The <a href="http://www.stanleyhotel.com/">Stanley Hotel</a> in Estes Park, Colorado, is holding an international competition to design a 10,100-square-foot hedge maze inspired by the memorable piece of set decoration in Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GWE44U/?tag=slatmaga-20">The Shining</a></em>, based on the novel by Stephen King. While the film wasn’t actually shot at the Stanley, the hotel did serve as King’s muse; he got the idea for the book while staying at the allegedly haunted hotel, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and a member of Historic Hotels of America, in 1973.</p>
<p>“There are few hotels in the world that share a history and story as unique as that of the Stanley Hotel,” current owner John W. Cullen said in a press release. “I'm excited to invite everyone to be a part of its legacy through this special design contest.”</p>
<p>The hedge maze will be constructed using up to 2,000 Alpine Currant hedge bushes and will sit prominently on the hotel’s front lawn. The <a href="http://www.stanleyhotel.com/themaze">contest</a> is open to amateurs and professionals alike until Jan. 31, and the winner will be unveiled on April 30. The winner of the maze contest will have his or her name placed on a placard on site.</p>
<p>According to <a href="http://www.stanleyhotel.com/themaze">contest</a> rules, designs must include only hedge and path elements. Arrows on a <a href="http://www.stanleyhotel.com/uploads/pdf/Maze__competetion2.pdf">template</a> provided by the hotel indicate specs for the maze that include boundaries, start and end points, area, and width.</p>
<p>It’s a hotel marketing gimmick, for sure, but a fun exercise for die-hard <em>Shining</em> fans and designers.</p>Fri, 09 Jan 2015 16:50:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/09/the_stanley_hotel_hosts_a_design_competition_to_recreate_the_maze_from_the.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-01-09T16:50:00ZLifeThe Hotel That Inspired
<em>The Shining</em> Wants Fans to Design Its New Hedge Maze242150109001designKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/09/the_stanley_hotel_hosts_a_design_competition_to_recreate_the_maze_from_the.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of the Stanley HotelThe Stanley Hotel is holding a contest to design an homage to <em>The</em> <em>Shining</em>'s Stanley Maze.Beautiful Cabins Around the World Built for Less Than $60,000http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/08/cabins_from_taschen_features_stunning_small_scale_architecture_from_around.html
<p>Before the <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/05/07/a_new_memoir_about_living_small_the_big_tiny_by_dee_williams_published_by.html">tiny house</a> or the microapartment, there was the cabin in the woods, planted in the collective imagination by Henry David Thoreau’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1484024192/?tag=slatmaga-20"><em>Walden</em></a> and later by Le Corbusier’s little wood <a href="http://www.fondationlecorbusier.fr/corbuweb/morpheus.aspx?sysId=13&amp;IrisObjectId=4659&amp;sysLanguage=fr-fr&amp;itemPos=1&amp;itemCount=1&amp;sysParentName=Home&amp;sysParentId=64">Cabanon de Vacances</a>, completed in 1952 at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in France. The small dwellings featured in <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/3836550261/?tag=slatmaga-20">Cabins</a></em>, a new coffee table book by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Philip-Jodidio/e/B001JOO732">Philip Jodidio</a> from <a href="http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/architecture/all/04605/facts.cabins.htm">Taschen</a>, offer escapist eye candy in the form of small dwellings located in tranquil natural settings around the world. The book includes building costs for many of the projects, a handful of which happen to have been built for less than $60,000.</p>
<p>Cabanas No Rio Huts (top) were built for less than $50,000 in 2013 in Portugal. At 280 square feet total, they are now used as a <a href="http://cabanasnorio.com/">microhotel</a> that rents for $237 a night.</p>
<p>In a similar style is the nomadic Flake House, built in Frossay, France, from 2008–09 as part of a design competition. It is 236 square feet and cost 21,000 euros (less than $25,000) to build.</p>
<p>Built for 10,000 euros (less than $12,000), the 97-square-foot Nido in Sipoo, Finland, by <a href="http://www.robinfalck.com">Robin Falck</a> was completed in 2011. Designed to be constructed from locally sourced wood and without a permit, the cabin is insulated with flax and is warmed during the winter with a small heat fan.</p>
<p>The 100-square-foot Franke-Mirzian Bunkhouse in Ontario, Canada, was designed and built in 2010 by&nbsp;Dan Molenaar of <a href="http://www.mafcohouse.com">Mafco House</a> as a presentation booth for a trade show in Toronto. At a cost of $20,000, it was repurposed as a permanent cabin on Drag Lake, Haliburton.</p>
<p>Guesthouse, a 280-square-foot structure built by <a href="http://www.aata.cl">AATA</a> in Chile in 2006 for 15,800 euros ($18,700) is a two-story wooden cube designed to have a minimal carbon footprint. Windows let in winter sun and encourage natural air flow in summer. Thermally efficient, inexpensive local bales of hay coated with mud were used for construction, and the roof is covered with grass.</p>
<p>The 430-square-foot Green Box, built by <a href="http://www.actromegialli.it">Act Romegialli</a> in the Alps in Northern Italy in 2011 for 48,000 euros ($57,000) is a renovated garage. Lightweight galvanized metal and steel wire were wrapped around the existing building to turn it into a 3-D support structure for climbing vegetation. The inside is used for gardening storage and has a kitchen and dining area for entertaining.<br /> </p>Thu, 08 Jan 2015 17:39:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/08/cabins_from_taschen_features_stunning_small_scale_architecture_from_around.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-01-08T17:39:00ZLifeBeautiful Cabins Around the World Built With an Eye on Budget and Environment242150108001designarchitectureKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/08/cabins_from_taschen_features_stunning_small_scale_architecture_from_around.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of TaschenGreen Box turned an unused garage into a little green wonder of an out building. &nbsp;These Illustrated Life Insurance Policies Are Too Fun to Stash in a Drawerhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/06/beagle_street_insurance_commissions_artist_designed_policy_covers_for_customers.html
<p>A life insurance policy document easily gets lost in the shuffle and is unearthed only once the policyholder is no longer around. To encourage customers to give the paper copies of their policies pride of place, British life insurance company <a href="https://www.beaglestreet.com/positive-prints/">Beagle Street</a> worked with <a href="http://www.intercitystudio.com/">Intercity</a> to commission professional illustrators to design a set of limited-edition covers to hang on walls. The colorful policy covers were given out to 600 new customers until the end of last month.</p>
<p>Beagle Street came up with the idea as part of its “never lost guarantee” service, according to a press release, inspired by research indicating that the average British adult will misplace more than 66,000 items in a lifetime, and more than one-quarter of people said they had “no idea” where their important paperwork was. (The research indicated that life insurance policies were among the “most commonly lost” paperwork.)&nbsp;</p>
<p>“There are millions of pounds worth of unclaimed payouts in the U.K. and we want to make sure our customers and their loved ones never miss out on money owed to them,” Beagle Street managing director Matthew Gledhill said in a press release. “By turning our policies into works of art to hang on a wall, we’re making it really easy for people to find their life insurance policy if needed.”</p>
<p>Prints were designed by London-based illustrators <a href="http://www.rose-blake.co.uk/">Rose Blake</a>, who has done work for clients including <em>The</em> <em>New Yorker</em> and Google; Rob Lowe, aka <a href="http://supermundane.com/">Supermundane</a>, whose clients include Apple and the <em>New York Times</em>; and husband-and-wife team Abi&nbsp;Williams and Rupert Meats of <a href="http://www.thisisrude.com/">Rude</a>, which is known for its line of designer T-shirts.</p>
<p>The designers each put their own whimsical stamps on Beagle Street’s upbeat tagline “Enjoy Life.” The covers were part of the company’s campaign to guarantee that policies won’t get lost, which also includes online storage.</p>
<p>“I wanted it to be really joyous, full of movement and color and something that people would put on their walls,” Lowe told me in an email.</p>
<p>Meats wrote in an email that he and his wife split up projects depending on the style, but he chose to tackle the life insurance covers due to his love of colorful,&nbsp;hand-drawn type. “The phrase came from the client, but it is similar to phrase that we use for our screen prints,” he said. “We love saying[s] like ‘All About the Good Times’&nbsp;and ‘It’s All Ace.’ ”</p>
<p>Did the somewhat macabre assignment of designing life insurance policy covers have any effect on his design choices? “We always use bold colors, but I love the idea of having a bright print hiding life insurance documents,” he said. “The message is ‘Got to make the most of it.’&nbsp;”</p>
<p>Via <a href="http://www.designweek.co.uk/news/illustrators-design-exciting-life-insurance-policy-documents/3039575.article"><em>Design Week</em></a></p>Tue, 06 Jan 2015 17:36:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/06/beagle_street_insurance_commissions_artist_designed_policy_covers_for_customers.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-01-06T17:36:00ZLifeThese Illustrated Life Insurance Policies Are Too Fun to Stash in a Drawer242150106001designKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/06/beagle_street_insurance_commissions_artist_designed_policy_covers_for_customers.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Rupert Meats/RudeA Beagle Street life insurance cover designed by London-based illustrator Rupert Meats of Rude.This Digital-Era Performance Choreographs Live Dancers With Projected Imageryhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/05/pixel_by_mourad_merzouki_adrien_mondot_and_claire_bardainne_is_a_thrilling.html
<p>Filming the ephemeral art of dance is notoriously difficult. But video of a new dance piece created by French choreographer <a href="http://www.ccncreteil.com/ccn_creteil/mourad_merzouki.cfm?lng=en">Mourad Merzouki</a> and digital designers Adrien Mondot and Claire Bardainne of <a href="http://www.am-cb.net/">Adrien M / Claire B</a> is a thrill in itself to watch. “Pixel” premiered in November in France and is currently <a href="http://www.ccncreteil.com/actualites_tournees/tournees.cfm/">on tour</a>, with a string of U.S. performances starting next month.</p>
<p>Merzouki, whose influences include hip-hop and circuses, says in a project description that the idea for “Pixel” came about when a meeting with the digital designers left him with “the sensation that I no longer knew how to distinguish reality from the virtual world, and very quickly I had the desire to exploit these new technologies with and for dance.”</p>
<p>The first experiments with dance and interactive video were “vertiginous” for the dancers, he says, adding that the challenge was to find a subtle balance between the disparate worlds of live dance performance and digital art and technology so that one didn’t overshadow the other. “We wanted to start a conversation about the synthesis between digital projection and the real body of the dancer,” Merzouki says.</p>
<p>The video below features excerpts of the 70-minute show. It's the interaction between dancers and technology that makes it so fresh and captivating to watch; the virtual projections are not mere stage effects, but partners for the performers, who navigate and negotiate the poetic digital terrain in a suspended reality that feels resonant with contemporary life. “Pixel” offers a tantalizing glimpse of the exciting possibilities of interactive performance.<br /> </p>Mon, 05 Jan 2015 18:04:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/05/pixel_by_mourad_merzouki_adrien_mondot_and_claire_bardainne_is_a_thrilling.htmlKristin Hohenadel2015-01-05T18:04:00ZLifeThis Digital-Era Performance Choreographs Live Dancers With Dazzling&nbsp;Projected Imagery242150105001designdanceKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/01/05/pixel_by_mourad_merzouki_adrien_mondot_and_claire_bardainne_is_a_thrilling.htmlfalsefalsefalsePhoto by Raoul Lemercier“Pixel,” by French choreographer Mourad Merzouki and digital designers Adrien Mondot and Claire Bardainne.Norway’s Stunning Juvet Landscape Hotel Is a Dream Getawayhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/31/juvet_landscape_hotel_is_set_on_a_jaw_dropping_nature_reserve_at_valldal.html
<p>Joining Sweden’s <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2013/12/09/treehotel_a_grown_up_childhood_escape_fantasy_in_the_swedish_woods.html">Treehotel</a> in my pantheon of Nordic escape fantasy destinations is the <a href="http://www.juvet.com">Juvet Landscape Hotel</a> at Valldal, near the town of Andalsnes in western Norway.</p>
<p>Set on a nature reserve on what was once farmland dating back to the 1500s, the hotel was designed to nestle itself as unobtrusively as possible into the jaw-dropping natural landscape with minimal intervention to the surrounding land.</p>
<p>Building on the site required lengthy negotiations with local conservation authorities, who eventually permitted up to 28 rooms to be built without blasting rocks or altering the terrain.</p>
<p>“Today’s concern for sustainability in architecture focuses almost [exclusively] on reduced energy consumption in production and operation,” reads the hotel’s website. “We think that conservation of topography is another aspect of sustainability which deserves attention. Standard building procedure requires the general destruction of the site to accommodate foundations and infrastructure before building can commence. Conserving the site is a way to respect the fact that nature precedes and succeeds man.”</p>
<p>The first seven rooms were completed in 2007, and two additional small rooms were finished last year. Each of the nine rooms (which cost less than $200 per person per night) are built as independent structures, with designs tailored to the topography of the site and the position of trees.</p>
<p>The rooms are angled in different directions in order to exploit a singular view of the surrounding wilderness, allowing for walls of windows that give the sense of communing with nature while maximizing privacy and eliminating the need for blinds or curtains.</p>
<p>Via <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2014/12/23/minimalist-glass-cabins-will-make-you-crave-winter-in-norway.php"><em>Curbed</em></a><em></em></p>Wed, 31 Dec 2014 14:04:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/31/juvet_landscape_hotel_is_set_on_a_jaw_dropping_nature_reserve_at_valldal.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-12-31T14:04:00ZLifeAdd Norway’s Stunning Juvet Landscape Hotel to Your List of Dream Getaways242141231001designnorwayKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/31/juvet_landscape_hotel_is_set_on_a_jaw_dropping_nature_reserve_at_valldal.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Jensen & SkodvinThe Juvet Landscape Hotel at Valldal in Norway has nine individual rooms that each face a singular patch of wilderness.Melbourne’s Hello House Has the World’s Most Extroverted Facadehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/30/hello_house_in_melbourne_by_oof_architecture_has_a_friendly_typographic.html
<p>A renovated Victorian shophouse in Melbourne, Australia, has built a virtual typographic welcome mat right into its sunken white brick facade, which spells out a bold&nbsp;HELLO.</p>
<p>Winner of this year’s People’s Choice Award from <a href="http://www.architeam.net.au/">ArchiTeam</a>, which supports small, medium, and emerging architecture practices, the Hello House was designed by Fooi-Ling Khoo of <a href="http://www.oof.net.au/">OOF! Architecture</a> in collaboration with artist <a href="http://www.annaschwartzgallery.com/works/works?artist=60&amp;c=m">Rose Nolan</a>, who works frequently with large-scale typography. The welcoming facade manages to both greet passersby and protect the private interior spaces from prying eyes.<br /> </p>
<p>“The Hello House could have been a typical inward looking home with the usual modern rear extension to a Victorian house,” the architect says in a project description, adding that the house, a one-story Victorian that originally featured a shop front with large windows facing onto the street, is located across from the local caf&eacute;&nbsp;in a central neighborhood hub. “The clients are a couple who love their neighborhood and are keen to engage with the community through their home,” Khoo says. “Rather than using the house as a tool to shut themselves off, we thought it could be a way to be part of the ‘village’ they loved. Our conversations led to the most distinctive feature of the home, the ‘Hello’&nbsp;wall.”</p>
<p>Khoo says that the facade, “literally representing the start of a conversation, greets the locals while also continuing the architectural story of the area,” a mix of 19<sup>th</sup>-century heritage buildings, ’60s and ’70s brick flats, and small warehouses. &nbsp;</p>
<p>But convincing the city council heritage officers that the cheerful modern facade was a positive contribution to the architecture of the area was a challenge. “Ultimately they saw what we saw, which was an area with a mix of architectural styles, with materials very similar to those we were using for the home,” Khoo said.</p>Tue, 30 Dec 2014 15:53:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/30/hello_house_in_melbourne_by_oof_architecture_has_a_friendly_typographic.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-12-30T15:53:00ZLifeMelbourne’s Hello House Has the World’s Most Extroverted Facade242141230001designarchitectureKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/30/hello_house_in_melbourne_by_oof_architecture_has_a_friendly_typographic.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Nic GranleeseThe Hello House in Melbourne, Australia. &nbsp;The Wire Poster Projecthttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2013/11/07/the_wire_poster_project_a_graphic_designer_s_homage_to_the_critically_acclaimed.html
<p><strong><em>Slate</em></strong><em> is celebrating </em><a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/12/03/the_wire_remastered_in_hd_david_simon_writes_blog_post_on_what_is_lost_and.html"><em>HBO’s marathon broadcast of the remastered </em>The Wire</a><em>&nbsp;by republishing some of </em><a href="http://www.slate.com/topics/t/the_wire.html"><em>our best coverage of the show</em></a><em>. This article, originally published in 2013, is reprinted below.</em></p>
<p>Graphic designer <a href="http://www.olivermunday.com">Oliver Munday</a> was just another fan of <a href="http://www.hbo.com/the-wire"><em>The Wire</em></a> when he decided to rewatch all five seasons of the critically acclaimed, much admired HBO series a couple of years ago. He was living in New York, but had spent 5 years in Baltimore as a student, and felt an extra connection to the real-life city at the heart of the fictional show. After watching David Simon’s television masterpiece again, he felt moved to memorialize that connection.</p>
<p>“I was compelled to try to respond to it in some way or create something as a fan,” Munday told me. He said that he had always been taken by the epigraphs at the beginning of each of the 60 episodes. He decided to use that collection of haunting, sometimes mysterious quotations to create a series of posters that would embody the spirit of the show and of Baltimore itself using typography and color.</p>
<p>As a point of departure, he looked to Baltimore’s Globe Poster Company, an institution founded in 1929 whose posters have been part of the city’s visual vernacular for decades, even featuring in an episode in the form of an old poster that reveals that one of the <em>Wire</em>’s main characters, Avon Barksdal,e was once a boxer. (The <a href="http://www.mica.edu/browse_art/globe_poster_collection.html">Globe’s collection</a> was purchased by Maryland Institute College of Art, Munday’s alma mater, after the printing company closed in 2010.)</p>
<p>“For most young designers studying in Baltimore it’s a rite of passage to reinterpret Globe,” Munday said. “It’s been referenced so much in design, everyone has done their take on an old boxing poster or a 70s/80s gig poster.”</p>
<p>He said he wanted to celebrate the reference while injecting his own sensibility––which is heavily influenced by Russian Constructivist poster design––in a way that would make fans feel like it embodied the show in an authentic way.</p>
<p>But the <em>Wire</em> is an ambitious, novelistic piece of television drama that is characterized less by a particular look than a multi-layered, sustained mood of modern human urban tragedy that permeates every aspect of the production. The quotations are in the voices of many different characters, and for those who have seen the show and remember the references, they have a resonance that isn’t necessarily apparent when read as standalone nuggets of prose.</p>
<p>Munday used a combination of Franklin Gothic and Garamond fonts in a variety of widths and weights, interspersing a few hand-drawn words that were a nod to vintage Globe style. He used scans of half-tone silk-screen swatches reminiscent of the printing process at Globe to add a sense of “grit.” The color palette of black, white and accent colors of basic primary red, yellow and blue were somewhat “arbitrary,” he said, as were the compositional flourishes in the form of straight lines at various angles that almost look like abstract slashes or wounds, perhaps a subconscious reference to the violence at the core of the show.</p>
<p>“I wanted to create a fragmented, layered, emotion-filled poster,” Munday said. “To have all these pieces coming together that would reflect the complexity of the show. It’s a lofty goal for a piece of printed matter.”</p>
<p>Munday is donating the profits from the <a href="http://wireposterproject.com/">sale</a> of the posters to the <a href="http://budl.org/">Baltimore Urban Debate League</a>, which helps at-risk kids in Baltimore and figures in a memorable episode in the final season when, shortly after being taken in by Howard “Bunny” Colvin, a young character called Namond Brice gives an award-winning speech about HIV and AIDS in Africa at a league event.</p>Fri, 26 Dec 2014 19:00:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2013/11/07/the_wire_poster_project_a_graphic_designer_s_homage_to_the_critically_acclaimed.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-12-26T19:00:00ZLifeStunning Posters for Diehard Fans of
<em>The Wire</em>242131107001televisionthe wireKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2013/11/07/the_wire_poster_project_a_graphic_designer_s_homage_to_the_critically_acclaimed.htmlfalsefalsefalseImage courtesy Oliver MundayOne of a series of posters by graphic designer Oliver Munday featuring iconic quotes from acclaimed HBO series <em>The Wire</em>.Madrid’s Christmas Lights Take a Walk on the Moonhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/24/brut_deluxe_madrid_christmas_lights_take_a_walk_on_the_moon.html
<p>Christmas lights are most often based around the concept of starlight. But this year Madrid’s annual light installation has looked to the moon as the muse for an unconventional take on the holiday street light tradition.</p>
<p>Designed by <a href="http://www.brutdeluxe.com">Brut Deluxe</a>, a Madrid- and Munich-based studio headed by Ben Busche, “Moon” is made up of a sequence of 31 light panels with images of the moon that function like a larger-than-life urban flipbook on the streets of the Spanish capital city.</p>
<p>“Instead of flipping through the pages with the thumb to produce a primitive cinematographic illusion of motion or animated pictures, with Moon it is the spectator itself that creates this effect by moving himself along the street,” reads a project description. “Instead of a typical Christmas light installation, consisting of a determined design which is repeated ... along a street, we created an installation that changes at each point of the route that is perceived completely only with time and by displacement.”</p>
<p>The designers utilized the topography of the Gran Via, Madrid’s central shopping street where “Moon” is located, and its respective rises and descents to create a zoom-in, zoom-out perspective.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Traditionalists might find the installation, which is up until Jan. 6, hardly Christmas-y, but the concept is a refreshing take on the expected and the twee. To get a sense of how the light installation looks from the streets of Madrid, check out the video below:<br /> </p>Wed, 24 Dec 2014 15:30:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/24/brut_deluxe_madrid_christmas_lights_take_a_walk_on_the_moon.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-12-24T15:30:00ZLifeMadrid’s Christmas Lights Take a Walk on the Moon242141224001holidayschristmasspainmoonKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/24/brut_deluxe_madrid_christmas_lights_take_a_walk_on_the_moon.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of imagensubliminalBen Busche of Brut Deluxe skipped the usual starry Christmas lights to turn Madrid into a walk on the moon.What a Beachside Obama Presidential Library in Hawaii Might Look Likehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/23/obama_presidential_library_university_of_hawaii_wants_to_build_the_obama.html
<p>The competition for the future site of the&nbsp;Obama presidential library is down to <a href="http://www.obamapresidentialfoundation.org/news/the-barack-obama-foundation-receives-final-presidential-center-proposals">four finalists</a>&nbsp;who submitted proposals earlier this month. They include the University of Chicago, Columbia University, and the <a href="http://news.uic.edu/uic-submits-multi-site-proposal-for-obama-library">University of Illinois at Chicago</a>, which offered a multisite proposal built on creating an <a href="http://presidential-library.uic.edu/">east-west cultural and civic corridor</a> that would focus on urban renewal in the heart of the mainland.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/12/12/this-is-what-an-obama-presidential-library-in-hawaii-would-look-like/">underdog</a> in the competition is the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, which has commissioned several proposals for what would be the first presidential library outside the contiguous United States. Photo renderings from two of those projects have been released on a website sponsored by the <a href="http://hawaiipresidentialcenter.com">Hawaii Tourism Authority</a> that makes a visual case for planting the future flagship of our current commander in chief on the shores of Hawaii.</p>
<p>One <a href="http://snohetta.com/project/207-president-obamas-hawaii-presidential-center">proposal</a> for a sleek oceanside building complex designed by <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/13/norway_chooses_pixelated_banknote_designs_from_snohetta_design_for_its_new.html">Snohetta</a> and <a href="http://wcitarch.com/">WCIT Architecture</a> is based around the Kumulipo, a native Hawaiian creation chant called ‘<em>āko‘ako‘a</em> that states that life began from a single coral polyp. “As a diverse collective of individuals growing over many generations, the notion of coral parallels the ambitions of the Presidential Center to become catalyst of thought, action, and community,” says a project description on the Snohetta website, noting that the site is atop what was once an exposed coral reef. “Much like the polyp, the Center has the unique opportunity to create a new environment that encourages assembly, provides places to congregate, and creates shared community resources.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.alliedworks.com/">Allied Works Architecture</a> writes in a project description that its vision for the Hawaii Presidential Center “seeks to engage the beauty of the land and culture that define the Hawaiian Islands, and to serve the mission of the Center as a space of dialogue and an agent for positive action on issues that we face as a nation and across the globe.” They add that the design concept “can be seen as the synthesis of three acts; each corresponds to specific aspects and core values of the Center: Land—‘Aina; Community—Ohana; and Integrity or Righteousness—Pono. The Center stands for the values of our democracy, the beauty of our land, and the resilience and ingenuity of our people. United under a single roof, we are reminded that we are stronger together.”</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.obamapresidentialfoundation.org/about#faq">foundation coordinating the library’s construction</a> says the president and first lady will select a site in early 2015.</p>Tue, 23 Dec 2014 18:47:39 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/23/obama_presidential_library_university_of_hawaii_wants_to_build_the_obama.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-12-23T18:47:39ZLifeWhat a Beachside Obama Presidential Library in Hawaii Might Look Like242141223001obamadesignarchitecturehawaiiKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/23/obama_presidential_library_university_of_hawaii_wants_to_build_the_obama.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Snohetta and WCITPhoto rendering of a design plan from Snohetta and WCIT of the proposed Obama Presidential Center in Hawaii, complete with palm trees and ocean views.These London Designers Created Their Dream Rooms—in Miniaturehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/22/v_a_museum_of_childhood_small_stories_the_dream_room_20_miniature_rooms.html
<p>What happens when you ask a group of contemporary British designers to create their dream rooms in miniature? London’s <a href="http://www.vam.ac.uk/moc/">Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood</a> asked a group of London-based designers from a range of backgrounds to bring their design fantasies to life for “<a href="http://www.vam.ac.uk/moc/exhibitions/small-stories-at-home-in-a-dolls-house/dream-house/">Dream House</a>.” </p>
<p>Designers expressed their ideal spaces and fantasy rooms in 1-foot-square wooden boxes, which range from the aspirational to the whimsical to the fantastical. This charming exercise in style accompanies the exhibition “<a href="http://www.vam.ac.uk/moc/exhibitions/small-stories-at-home-in-a-dolls-house/small-stories/">Small Stories</a>,” a historic look at U.K. dollhouses that is on until September before it travels to the U.S.</p>Mon, 22 Dec 2014 18:25:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/22/v_a_museum_of_childhood_small_stories_the_dream_room_20_miniature_rooms.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-12-22T18:25:00ZLifeThese London Designers Created Their Dream Bedrooms, Bathrooms, and Living Rooms—in Miniature242141222001designKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/22/v_a_museum_of_childhood_small_stories_the_dream_room_20_miniature_rooms.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London<em>Wellbeing Bathroom</em> by Roger Arquar creates a streamlined fantasy bathroom that includes sculptural brass faucets sprouting from a floor of marble pebbles, a wall of green moss, and a glass ceiling bulb.This CMYK Puzzle Is Gorgeous and Mind-Bogglinghttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/16/_1000_colours_puzzle_by_designer_clemens_habicht_will_make_your_head_explode.html
<p>A subtly gradated rainbow of <a href="http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/C/CMYK.html">CMYK</a> shades broken into pieces, <a href="http://puzzle.lamingtondrive.com/">1000 Colours</a> is a gorgeous, mind-blowing puzzle.</p>
<p>Designer <a href="http://www.clemenshabicht.com/">Clemens Habicht</a> says the idea came to him while he was “enjoying the subtle differences in the blue of a sky in a particularly brutal jigsaw puzzle.” Without the presence of image details to guide him, he says, “I was relying only on an intuitive sense of color, and this was much more satisfying.”</p>
<p>So he created a puzzle that would multiply the effect. Unlike ordinary puzzles where you reassemble a specific image based on a reference, the 1000 Colours puzzle clues you in to where pieces belong based on their hues.</p>
<p>“There is a real logic in the doing that is weirdly soothing, therapeutic,” he says of the challenge of fitting together dozens of similar-looking pieces that look from a distance like a colorful blur. “As each piece clicks perfectly into place, just so, it's a little win, like a little pat on the back.&quot;</p>
<p>Check out the time-lapse video of the puzzle being assembled below.</p>
<p>Via <a href="http://boingboing.net/2014/12/11/1000-piece-cmyk-color-gamut-ji.html"><em>Boing Boing</em></a></p>Tue, 16 Dec 2014 15:52:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/16/_1000_colours_puzzle_by_designer_clemens_habicht_will_make_your_head_explode.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-12-16T15:52:00ZLifeThis Puzzle’s Simple Design Is Gorgeous and Mind-Boggling242141216001designpuzzlesKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/16/_1000_colours_puzzle_by_designer_clemens_habicht_will_make_your_head_explode.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Clemens Habicht/The Jacky Winter GroupThis color-only puzzle will make your head explode. &nbsp;How to Decorate Your Hipster Beard for Christmashttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/15/beard_baubles_decorate_your_facial_hair_this_christmas.html
<p>The <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/12/national_ugly_christmas_sweater_day_the_holiday_fashion_is_here_to_stay.html">ugly Christmas sweater</a> has met its match in the tacky holiday season fashion trend department: the decked-out hipster beard, dubiously strung with miniature lights and baubles.</p>
<p>Creative duo <a href="http://mkandpa.com/About-us">Mike Kennedy and Pauline Ashford</a> came up with an eye-catching holiday idea for advertising agency <a href="http://www.grey.co.uk/">Grey London</a> by creating <a href="http://beardbaubles.tictail.com/product/beard-baubles">Beard Baubles</a>, miniature Christmas decorations for men to string up in their bountiful beards, with profits going to <a href="http://www.beardseason.com/">This Is Beard Season</a>, an Australian melanoma charity.</p>
<p>The improbable baubles, which went on sale last week, struck joy in hipster hearts, selling out in a few days. Veronique Rhys-Evans of Grey London told me in an email that they have no intention of reissuing the baubles, although a few limited edition packs are currently up for auction on <a href="http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/beard_baubles?_trksid=p2047675.l2559">eBay</a>. And this helpful Beard–generated video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTkztOkouDA">tutorial</a> unravels the mystery of how the little Christmas trinkets stay put for those who want to DIY it:</p>
<p>If you don’t have a beard to bedazzle but like the look, Seattle-based photographer <a href="http://www.boredpanda.com/the-twelve-beards-of-christmas/">Stephanie Jarstad</a> is offering a “<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/214302326/12-beards-of-christmas-poster?ref=shop_home_active_2">Twelve Beards of Christmas</a>” poster featuring a range of festooned holiday beards or “<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/214086171/the-twelve-beards-of-christmas-cards?ref=listing-shop-header-2">Twelve Beards of Christmas</a>” cards at her <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/abeardforallseasons?ref=l2-shopheader-name">Etsy</a> shop.</p>Mon, 15 Dec 2014 17:07:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/15/beard_baubles_decorate_your_facial_hair_this_christmas.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-12-15T17:07:00ZLifeYou Can Now Decorate Your Hipster Beard for Christmas242141215001holidayschristmasdesignKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/15/beard_baubles_decorate_your_facial_hair_this_christmas.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Stephanie JarstadIt’s National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day. Every Holiday Tradition Has Now Been Commercialized.http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/12/national_ugly_christmas_sweater_day_the_holiday_fashion_is_here_to_stay.html
<p>An <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_11/189-1836838-2906510?url=search-alias%3Dapparel&amp;field-keywords=ugly%20christmas%20sweater&amp;sprefix=ugly+christ%2Caps%2C109">ugly Christmas sweater</a>&nbsp;used to be a typical gift from a well-meaning relative. You wore the sweater to avoiding hurting anyone’s feelings or as an ironic holiday statement eccentric enough to stand out in a crowd.</p>
<p><a></a>Now the ugly Christmas sweater has become a kitschy holiday uniform, a popular theme for holiday parties, pop culture fodder for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvguide.com/PhotoGallery/Television-Films-Ugliest-1025533/1025535">TV and movie character costumes</a>,&nbsp;and talk show gimmicks like Jimmy Fallon’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9LxGxbnEgQ">12 Days of Christmas Sweaters</a>.<a>*</a> They now even have a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nationaluglychristmassweaterday.org/">made-up holiday</a>&nbsp;invented to sell goofy seasonal knitwear to the masses.</p>
<p>Naturally, if everyone at the party is wearing an ugly Christmas sweater, the stakes are raised to who can wear <a href="http://stores.ebay.com/debsfunfinds/Tacky-Christmas-Sweaters-/_i.html?_fsub=4658776016">the ugliest Christmas sweater of them all</a>.</p>
<p>The homely Christmas sweater design of old might have involved a loud patchwork of snowmen, reindeer, Santas, and other merry clich&eacute;s in shades of red and green. But in the age of ugly Christmas sweater ubiquity, the sweaters’ defining characteristics have become muddled—with options that range from tacky to creepy to quirky to sardonic—and predictably over the top, with modern-day bells and whistles to up the ugly ante.</p>
<p>Some retailers have rebranded anything resembling a classic&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Isle_%28technique%29">Fair Isle knit</a>, popularized nearly 100 years ago and worn throughout winter, as an ugly Christmas sweater, adding “vintage” before the title if it happens to be second-hand.</p>
<p>Others take a different route. Ugly Christmas sweater purveyor Tipsy Elves sells edgy&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tipsyelves.com/jesus-christmas-sweater">Happy Birthday Jesus</a>&nbsp;sweaters or twisted&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tipsyelves.com/reindeer-menage-a-trois-sweater">m&eacute;nage &agrave; trois</a>&nbsp;scenarios featuring randy reindeer. Canadian company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.holidayrejects.ca/ugly-christmas-sweaters/light-up-christmas-sweaters/">Holiday Rejects</a>, started by college friends who were disappointed by the sartorial offerings at an ugly Christmas sweater party, sell sweaters and LED light kits to light them up (blinking light option included). MorphCostumes&nbsp;encourages customers to “take bad taste Christmas knitwear to next level” with its “<a href="http://www.morphsuits.com/digital-dudz/ugly-christmas-sweaters">Digital Dudz</a>” sweaters that include built-in pockets to hold smartphones and a free app to display animated images of holiday scenes such as crackling fireplaces, caroling kitty cats, and shifty-eyed Santas embedded on the sweaters’ fronts. &nbsp;</p>
<p>Mass-market products like generic-looking&nbsp;<a href="http://www.uglychristmassweaterparty.com/collections/nfl-team-ugly-christmas-sweaters">NHL ugly Christmas sweaters</a>&nbsp;preserve the ugly but have killed whatever might be left of the garment’s inherent irony in the process, notes the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/12/ugly-christmas-sweater/383550/"><em>Atlantic</em></a>.</p>
<p>As if to prove that point,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.vogue.com/6058487/chic-ugly-holiday-sweaters/"><em>Vogue</em></a>&nbsp;offers advice for bewildered fashionistas on “how to chicly navigate a party in which the dress code calls for ‘ugly’ ” with “the fourteen best ugly-chic sweater picks that will have you looking jubilantly stylish even before your first sip of egg nog.” The sweaters featured include embellished knits from “bubblegum-pink cashmere and apr&eacute;s-ski-inspired knits to intarsia turtlenecks” from designers like Miu Miu and Marc Jacobs that cost up to $3,762.</p>
<p><a></a>But staying chic isn’t really the point of this annual celebration of terrible taste. Now that the ugly Christmas sweater is an ensconced tradition and as commercialized as any other holiday trend, it seems that the ugly Christmas sweater will just keep getting uglier. Case in point: <a href="http://toyland.gizmodo.com/the-worlds-ugliest-christmas-sweater-includes-a-working-1668264208/+ericlimer">This DIY sweater</a> comes complete not only with flashing Christmas lights but a built-in toy train that runs in a loop on a hula hoop–like skirt. Let’s hope it’s the apotheosis of the ugly Christmas sweater trend.</p>
<p><em><strong>Correction, Dec. 12, 2014: </strong>This post originally misidentified Jimmy Fallon as Jimmy Kimmel. (<a>Return</a>.)</em></p>Fri, 12 Dec 2014 18:48:43 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/12/national_ugly_christmas_sweater_day_the_holiday_fashion_is_here_to_stay.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-12-12T18:48:43ZLifeIt’s National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day. Every Holiday Tradition Has Now Been Commercialized.242141212001holidayschristmasfashionKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/12/national_ugly_christmas_sweater_day_the_holiday_fashion_is_here_to_stay.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of TheUglySweaterShop.com/FlickrUgly Christmas sweaters come in all shapes and sizes.Create Your Own Wallpaper or Redesign a Shopping Cart at the Revamped Cooper Hewitthttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/11/cooper_hewitt_smithsonian_design_museum_reopens_after_a_three_year_renovation.html
<p>The country’s sole museum devoted to design—the <a href="http://www.cooperhewitt.org/">Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum</a> in New York City—reopens Friday after a three-year renovation. The revamped museum offers 60 percent more exhibition space for its vast collection of historic and contemporary design. The remodeling and restoration work on the Carnegie Mansion, the former residence of Andrew Carnegie and current home of the museum, involved 13 design firms.</p>
<p>But the most intriguing aspect of the face-lift includes a handful of spaces designed to engage the curious with digital tools to help turn a passive museum visit into an interactive experience that honors the hands-on process of design.</p>
<p>“The museum’s dynamic exhibition program, enhanced by interactive experiences that draw the visitor into the design process, will shape how people think about the power of design and ultimately, its capability to solve real world problems,” director Caroline Baumann said in a press release.</p>
<p>The museum, which was founded in 1897, has dramatically increased its exhibition space. But, like most museums, it still can’t display its entire collection, so new ultra-HD touch-screen tables allow visitors to explore thousands of objects digitally organized by themes and motifs using a Collection Browser app. The app allows visitors to zoom in for an unprecedented look at an object’s detail or read up on the history of an object.</p>
<p>The Immersion Room will let visitors peruse more than 200 examples of the museum’s wallpaper collection while projecting full-scale, floor-to-ceiling swatches on surrounding walls. Visitors can also draw and play with their own designs and project them on the walls to see the results.</p>
<p>The Process Lab offers hands-on activities that allow visitors to think and experiment. Designed by <a href="http://www.lindseyadelman.com/">Lindsey Adelman Studio</a>, one of the lab’s stations lets amateur designers experiment with light design at a “making station” by attaching precut materials such as transparent gels, reflective surfaces, and translucent and perforated papers to LED armatures to create simple working prototypes.</p>
<p>Visitors can also practice their design skills at an 84-inch touch-screen table by revamping everyday objects like drinking fountains and shopping carts with specific users in mind, sharing results with other visitors and voting on solutions. An interactive testing station allows visitors to handle everyday products like water bottles, kitchen brushes, pill bottles, or product packaging in order to discuss and evaluate how some objects work better than others.</p>
<p>And in a display that is cutting-edge now but will probably feel quaint in years to come, those curious to see a 3-D printer in action can watch the printing of objects such as a prosthetic limb, lightweight airplane bracket, or a Nike&nbsp;Vapor Carbon Elite Super Bowl cleat.</p>
<p>The museum is also developing a high-tech pen that will allow visitors to collect and save information gathered while at the museum; the information will be accessible later from a tablet or smartphone starting early next year.</p>Thu, 11 Dec 2014 18:08:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/11/cooper_hewitt_smithsonian_design_museum_reopens_after_a_three_year_renovation.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-12-11T18:08:00ZLifeCreate Your Own Wallpaper or Redesign a Shopping Cart at the Revamped Cooper Hewitt Design Museum242141211001designKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/11/cooper_hewitt_smithsonian_design_museum_reopens_after_a_three_year_renovation.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Matt Flynn/Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design MuseumIn the Cooper Hewitt's new Immersion Room, visitors can project wallpaper from the collection or of their own design onto surrounding walls.These Redesigns of a French Christmas Dessert Will Make You Salivatehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/09/buche_de_noel_yule_log_the_traditional_french_christmas_dessert_redesigned.html
<p>The French don't do Christmas cookies, but the French Christmas dessert known as a yule log (or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule_log_%28cake%29"><em>b&ucirc;che de No&euml;l</em></a>) has been around since the 19<sup>th</sup> century. By now it is both a staple on French tables and a nostalgic classic made in its most traditional version of rolled sponge cake iced with chocolate to resemble a log, dusted with powdered sugar snow, and scattered with meringue mushrooms to add to its rustic woodsy charm.</p>
<p>But while <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/354925/buche-de-noel">Martha Stewart</a> can show you how to make an old-school version, in France every Christmas it’s a battle of the <em>b&ucirc;ches</em> in which home cooks comb through culinary magazines and websites for fresh takes on the iconic cake.</p>
<p>And every <em>p&acirc;tisserie</em> and fancy hotel pastry chef brings out their most high-concept limited edition designs that offer a visual <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2013/09/09/christophe_adam_s_eclair_makeover.html">twist on the traditional dessert</a>. Whether it’s a deconstructed take on the conventional yule log shape or an ambitious design that uses the classic dessert as a takeoff for a wild flight of culinary fancy, for a few weeks each holiday season Parisian pastry chefs vie for the most creative and imaginative ode to the Christmas dessert—and charge customers a pretty euro cent for the pleasure.</p>
<p>Here's a handful of some of the most innovative <em>b&ucirc;ches de No&euml;l</em> being whipped up just in time for French Christmas tables.</p>Tue, 09 Dec 2014 18:30:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/09/buche_de_noel_yule_log_the_traditional_french_christmas_dessert_redesigned.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-12-09T18:30:00ZLifeThese Redesigns of a Traditional French Christmas Dessert Will Make You Salivate242141209001designfoodchristmasholidaysKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/09/buche_de_noel_yule_log_the_traditional_french_christmas_dessert_redesigned.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Christophe RousselChristophe Roussel’s Red Forest is a reinvented nod to the woodsy spirit of the original.Everyone Hates Marsala, Pantone’s Color of the Yearhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/08/marsala_pantone_announces_its_2015_color_of_the_year.html
<p>Every year since 1990, the <a href="http://www.pantone.com/pci/pages/index.aspx?pg=21148#services-section">Pantone Color Institute</a> has nominated a Color of the Year, forecasting which specific hue designers and consumers will all supposedly be using, wearing, and buying for the following 12 months. Last week, <a href="http://www.pantone.com/">Pantone</a> announced that the 2015 Color of the Year is Marsala.</p>
<p>In a company press release, Pantone described the color as “a naturally robust and earthy wine red.” While last year’s Color of the Year, <a href="http://www.pantone.com/pages/index.aspx?pg=21131">Radiant Orchid</a>, “encouraged creativity and innovation, Marsala enriches our mind, body and soul, exuding confidence and stability,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.</p>
<p>“Much like the fortified wine that gives Marsala its name, this tasteful hue embodies the satisfying richness of a fulfilling meal, while its grounding red-brown roots emanate a sophisticated, natural earthiness. This hearty, yet stylish tone is universally appealing and translates easily to fashion, beauty, industrial design, home furnishings and interiors,” Pantone proclaimed.</p>
<p>While the design blogosphere largely reported the company’s annual marketing gimmick as if on cue, not everyone was as enthusiastic about the color. After all, color is a subjective, emotional experience, and there is no accounting for taste. (An even more pointed French expression of that idea suggests that there is no accounting for taste or colors:&nbsp;<em>Les go&ucirc;ts et les couleurs ne se discutent pas</em>.)</p>
<p><em>New York </em>magazine’s <a href="http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/12/pantones-color-of-the-year-is-icky-marsala.html">The Cut </a>called Marsala “icky.” In a post titled “<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/12/Pantone-Picks-Marsala-As-2015-Color-of-the-year/383450/">The Problem With Pantone's Color of the Year</a>,” the <em>Atlantic</em> pointed out that Marsala reminded some people of “rust, the grimy, gag-inducing type that lines corners or frat boy dormitory-style bathrooms. Or blood, the freaky dried kind whose iron content has been exposed to the air long enough to evoke a dull brick.” Instead of the gourmet associations of Marsala wine and pomegranate fruit, as featured in the color campaign’s marketing images, the magazine suggested that it conjured visions of elementary-school mystery meat, liver, and meatloaf.</p>
<p>Eiseman of the Pantone Color Institute was unavailable for comment on the selection process, but press materials explained that it “requires careful consideration,” adding that Pantone “combs the world looking for color influences,” including the <a href="http://www.pantone.com/pages/fcr/?season=spring&amp;year=2015">fashion</a> and entertainment industries, art, popular travel destinations, technology, sports, and more.</p>Mon, 08 Dec 2014 19:43:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/08/marsala_pantone_announces_its_2015_color_of_the_year.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-12-08T19:43:00ZLifeEveryone Hates Marsala, Pantone’s Color of the Year242141208001designKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/08/marsala_pantone_announces_its_2015_color_of_the_year.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of PantonePantone’s 2015 Color of the Year is named after Marsala wine. &nbsp; &nbsp;This Home-Swapping Site Offers Access to Artists’ and Designers’ Gorgeous Homes—With One Catchhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/05/behomm_is_the_first_home_exchange_community_reserved_for_designers_and_visual.html
<p>Barcelona-based <a href="https://www.behomm.com/">Behomm</a> bills itself as “the first home exchange community only for designers and visual artists.” The invitation-only site was launched by graphic designers <a href="http://www.justecalduch.com">Agustí Juste and Eva Calduch</a>, longtime home exchangers who were tired of wading through the dregs of cluttered home swap sites and decided to create a space “to connect like-minded people with a similar love of tasteful things and interest in a more enriching travel experience.”</p>
<p>They assembled a collection of thoughtfully designed homes that belong to designers, architects, art directors, artists, stylists, photographers, and <a href="https://www.behomm.com/private/professions-list.html">other design and art professionals</a> who are interested in home swaps with fellow aesthetes and creatives. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>“Behomm stands out from the crowd of generic exchange sites by focusing on just designers and visual artists,” reads a press release. They emphasize that the site focuses on beautiful homes of all shapes and sizes in urban, beach, and rural locales around the world. “The founders firmly believe that beauty and aesthetics are not tied to luxury. In fact, they personally get very happy when a small and beautiful home registers!”</p>
<p>Behomm members are offered a free one-year trial before an annual 95 euro ($117) subscription fee kicks in (with 5 percent of proceeds going to <a href="http://architectureforhumanity.org/">Architecture for Humanity</a>).</p>
<p>The founders sent me an invitation to browse through the listings. The site design is clean and streamlined, and you can search based on location, number of people traveling, whether pets or children are allowed, and other criteria. The photos tend to be high quality, and there are plenty of good-looking spaces full of style and personality. But some of the listings don't include photos, which seems nonsensical for a site that focuses on the aesthetics of the homes. (Behomm's Shizuko Ono told me in an email that photos are now required for new members.) Also, information listing the features of each home and information about members is often sparse, meaning you might have to spend time corresponding with members to answer specific questions about potential swaps.</p>Fri, 05 Dec 2014 18:35:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/05/behomm_is_the_first_home_exchange_community_reserved_for_designers_and_visual.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-12-05T18:35:00ZLifeThis Home-Swapping Site Offers Access to Artists’ and Designers’ Gorgeous Homes. But There’s a Catch.242141205001Kristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/05/behomm_is_the_first_home_exchange_community_reserved_for_designers_and_visual.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Ksenya SamarskyaA Brooklyn designer home available for swapping on Behomm.These Grand Skyscrapers Will Never Reach Their Planned Heightshttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/04/top_skyscrapers_around_the_world_that_were_stalled_stunted_stopped_midconstruction.html
<p>“Without big dreams, there would be no tall buildings,” researchers from the Chicago-based <a href="http://www.ctbuh.org">Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat</a> write in a new <a href="http://global.ctbuh.org/resources/papers/1838-Journal2014_IssueIV_TBIN.pdf">report</a>. “Conceiving, financing, designing, and constructing a skyscraper is no simple feat, even under the best of conditions.”</p>
<p>Alas, every grand architectural dream does not come to fruition, and not all skyscrapers end up reaching their ultimate heights. The researchers say that some projects suffer from “torturously slow gestation periods; many more have failed to start or were interrupted and cancelled. Naturally, we began to wonder how many tall buildings were started and not finished, and which held the records for longest construction time.”</p>
<p>The illustrations pictured above represent the world’s 20 tallest buildings that started works on site but were never completed as planned, as of last month. “The reasons that these designs were never fully realized are varied—some fell victim to financial obstacles, others, political pressures and cultural shifts.”</p>
<p>In the study, the authors note, a building is considered to be “never completed” when “site works had begun, but were completely halted, and no reports indicate that construction will continue. The site may go on to accommodate a new building, different to the original design, that may or may not retain the original construction.”</p>
<p>The Metropolitan Life North Annex in New York, for example, was meant to be 100 stories tall. Construction was halted in 1933 at the 31<sup>st</sup> floor and remained there when the building was completed in 1950. In 2006, construction began on the Waterview Tower in Chicago—a structure that was meant to be 1,047 feet (319 meters) and 89 stories tall—only to be halted at the 26<sup>th</sup> floor two years later. The building was ultimately redesigned, ending up at 617 feet (188 meters) tall and rebaptized OneEleven.</p>
<p>The Centro Financiero Confinanzas (aka Torre David) in Caracas, Venezuela, began construction in 1990 but was abandoned midproject for financial reasons. It <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/atlas_obscura/2014/06/23/the_tower_of_david_in_caracas_venezuela.html">sheltered several hundred Venezuelan families</a> until they were relocated last July. The Pentominium in Dubai, begun in 2008, would have been the second-tallest building in the world had it been successfully completed for its target date of 2014, but only reached 30 stories when it was put on hold in 2011.</p>
<p>There are 50 building projects around the world 492 feet (150 meters) or taller that are currently on hold, meaning that construction began and stopped but is planned to resume.</p>
<p>Via <a href="http://www.dezeen.com/2014/11/27/dream-deferred-unfinished-tall-buildings-skyscrapers-ctbuh-report/"><em>Dezeen</em></a></p>Thu, 04 Dec 2014 15:48:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/04/top_skyscrapers_around_the_world_that_were_stalled_stunted_stopped_midconstruction.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-12-04T15:48:00ZLifeFive of the World’s 20 Tallest Unfinished Skyscrapers Are in Dubai242141204001designarchitectureKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/04/top_skyscrapers_around_the_world_that_were_stalled_stunted_stopped_midconstruction.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of CTBUHThe world's 10 tallest never-completed buildings. &nbsp; &nbsp;Is This the Last Toothbrush You’ll Ever Need?http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/01/the_goodwell_company_toothbrush_by_patrick_triato_is_engineered_to_last.html
<p>The average person will use up and throw out some 300 environmentally unfriendly toothbrushes over a lifetime, producing hundreds of pounds of plastic waste. Engineer and industrial designer Patrick Triato of the Portland, Oregon–based <a href="http://www.thegoodwellcompany.com">Goodwell Company</a> has developed a new product to change the way that people buy and use toothbrushes.</p>
<p>With a base made from medical-grade aluminum,&nbsp;compostable brushes made from biodegradable charcoal fibers, a flossing attachment, and a tongue-scraping attachment made from bamboo composite, the “<a href="https://www.crowdsupply.com/goodwell/toothbrush">toothkit</a>” includes a subscription service that delivers a new attachment each month.</p>
<p>Successfully funded on <a href="https://www.crowdsupply.com">Crowd Supply</a> last week, the brush includes optional open-source features for programmers and hackers who want to design or develop their own attachments or share ideas. And it comes with an optional internal tracking device for obsessives who want to collect data on their oral health care habits.</p>
<p>The brush has a sober design and comes in a natural aluminum, black, or gold finish that is a far cry from your average fluorescent plastic toothbrush design. Based on market research in which people oddly requested that the toothbrush include storage, it includes a secret compartment built into the handle to hold aspirin, matches, or possibly a time capsule where you can leave letters to the people of the future if the handle is as durable as the company claims.</p>
<p>But what about those of us who have made the switch to battery-operated brushes? May the Goodwell Company’s next product be a more eco-friendly, solar-powered toothbrush with compostable heads.</p>Mon, 01 Dec 2014 16:15:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/01/the_goodwell_company_toothbrush_by_patrick_triato_is_engineered_to_last.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-12-01T16:15:00ZLifeIs This the Last Toothbrush You’ll Ever Need?242141201001designhealthKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/01/the_goodwell_company_toothbrush_by_patrick_triato_is_engineered_to_last.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of the Goodwell CompanyThe Goodwell Company toothbrush is designed to last forever.Avoid Overeating at Thanksgiving by Ditching Your Serving Tongs and Good Chinahttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/25/design_your_thanksgiving_table_to_prevent_overeating_from_brian_wansink.html
<p>Thanksgiving is the most gluttonous day of the year. Gathering for a feast to celebrate thankfulness has turned into a national eating contest, with the average American possibly scarfing down <a href="http://www.caloriecontrol.org/articles-and-video/feature-articles/stuff-the-bird-not-yourself">4,500 calories</a>&nbsp;of turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Can a Thanksgiving meal be generous without going overboard?</p>
<p>Brian Wansink&nbsp;is a nutritionist, the director of Cornell University’s <a href="http://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/">Food and Brand Lab</a>, and a leading research&nbsp;<a href="http://www.brianwansink.com/">expert</a>&nbsp;on eating behaviors. His recently published book,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0089LOMO2/?tag=slatmaga-20"><em>Slim by Design</em></a>,&nbsp;includes practical tips for designing homes, restaurants, supermarkets, workplaces, <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/24/brian_wansink_slim_by_design_mindless_eating_solutions_for_everyday_life.html">school lunch trays</a>, and more that can help people lose or maintain weight by redesigning environments to subtly cue us to make healthy choices instead of relying on our finite powers to resist temptation.</p>
<p>I asked Wansink if he had any tips for designing Thanksgiving dinner for those who want to enjoy the holiday without stuffing themselves tighter than turkeys. He was careful to point out that he loves the holiday and isn’t looking to rain on anybody’s Thanksgiving parade.</p>
<p>“This is one of the greatest holidays of the year,” Wansink told me by phone. “I think the priority on Thanksgiving is to really reflect on how grateful you are and probably not to start a diet. But there are ways to cut down on calories.”</p>
<p><strong>Don’t waste calories before the main meal.</strong></p>
<p>Wansink says that his research on Thanksgiving eating habits shows that people eat 11 percent of total calories grazing on packaged snacks before the main meal. Save your appetite for dinner, he says.</p>
<p>“Don’t eat anything that is store-bought,” Wansink says, whether it’s mixed nuts or a pie from the grocery. “Nobody is going to be offended if you don’t eat something that came in a package, but they will be if you don’t eat the special dish they made just for you.”</p>
<p><strong>Serve food at the table, then remove the most caloric dishes to a side table.</strong></p>
<p>Wansink said that it’s important to uphold our Norman Rockwell–esque expectations of a bountiful Thanksgiving table. But once everyone has been served, banish the stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, and other high-calorie side dishes to a side table. “Our research shows that people eat about 20 percent less if served off a side table, stove, or counter rather than right in front of you,” Wansink said. Forcing people to get up for seconds or thirds, he said, “works well because getting up means visually announcing that you’re going to be a pig. Although Thanksgiving is a much less judgmental dinner.” Nevertheless, he said, leaving healthier dishes like green beans, salad, and turkey on the table encourages people to fill up on leaner fare.</p>
<p><strong>To avoid drinking too much, make sure that everyone has a water glass, and serve wine in tall, narrow glasses.</strong></p>
<p>Drinking accounts for 10 percent of all Thanksgiving calories consumed, Wansink said. His research indicates that we drink more out of wide-rimmed glasses, and he suggests using tall, narrow glasses instead (though the red wine–drinking snobs at your table might have a hard time swallowing that advice).</p>
<p>If you’re especially concerned about keeping guests from drinking too much, he said, keep the wine off the table. Instead of pouring refills, bring fresh glasses and place them next to the empty ones without removing them to create a visual reminder of how much alcohol has been consumed.</p>
<p><strong>Use smaller serving bowls and tablespoon-sized serving spoons, not serving tongs.</strong></p>
<p>“Tongs lead to overserving,” Wansink says. Smaller serving bowls that can be refilled in the kitchen as necessary help people to maintain a healthy perception of portions. Smaller serving spoons mean they will likely serve themselves less.</p>
<p><strong>Use smaller plates in a contrasting color to the food.</strong></p>
<p>Wansink’s research shows that using smaller plates keeps people from overeating. He suggests forgoing the usual dinner plates that are 12 inches in diameter and opting for those that are no smaller than 9 inches in diameter. “Not too small, or it backfires,” he said.</p>
<p>He added that people eat more when the color of their food blends in with the plate. You will probably be using your best china on Thanksgiving, Wansink pointed out, but since Thanksgiving dinner is largely a pale affair, this might not be the best time to use white plates.</p>
<p><strong>If your hosts are food-pushers, be strategic.</strong></p>
<p>Wansink said that if you know you’re going to be around relatives or friends who encourage gluttony, be sure to serve yourself small portions, so making a show of going back for more doesn’t lead to overdoing it.</p>
<p><strong>Stick to one dessert.</strong></p>
<p>If Wansink’s research shows that up to 20 percent of total calories are consumed before a meal, dessert accounts for another 20 percent. While there’s a good chance that there will be more than one dessert on the Thanksgiving table, especially if it’s a potluck, Wansink said your best bet is sticking to just one. “The real danger with dessert is not the first intake,” he said. “It’s sampling one of everything.”</p>
<p>Precut a pie that you might have divided up into six or eight pieces into 10 or 12, he said. Present the dessert “right on the table,” serve everyone a slice, then relegate it to a side table. “It’s impossible to control how much food there is if it’s a potluck,” he said. “But you can control how accessible it is so that people don’t overeat.”</p>Tue, 25 Nov 2014 18:00:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/25/design_your_thanksgiving_table_to_prevent_overeating_from_brian_wansink.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-11-25T18:00:00ZLifeAvoid Overeating at Thanksgiving by Ditching Your Serving Tongs and Good China242141125001designthanksgivingKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/25/design_your_thanksgiving_table_to_prevent_overeating_from_brian_wansink.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Steve Johnson/FlickrAccording to the Calorie Control Council, the average American may consume more than 4,500 calories at the Thanksgiving table.Ikea Jumps on Retro Furniture Trend by Reissuing Its Own Designshttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/24/ikea_argang_collection_reissues_limited_edition_designs_from_the_50s_60s.html
<p>Midcentury modern and Scandinavian furniture designs seem as ubiquitous, relevant, and on trend as they did in the middle of the 20<sup>th</sup> century, and even more so as our gadgets get more futuristic and our interiors have gone decidedly retro (helped along no doubt by a glamorous boost from the&nbsp;<em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JK0X170/?tag=slatmaga-20">Mad Men</a> </em>effect).</p>
<p>Now under the guise of celebrating 70 years in business, Ikea has&nbsp;<a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2014/11/20/ikea-argang-collection-50s-70s-retro.php">launched</a>&nbsp;the limited-edition&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ikea.com/ms/sv_SE/catalog_categories/departments/collections/argang.html">Argang collection</a>, 26 reissued designs from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s that include furniture, lighting, textiles, and tableware from its archives (available only in select Ikea stores).</p>
<p>“Retro design is a big trend right now, so the timing for ÅRGÅNG Collection is just right!” exclaims a press release about the collection.</p>
<p>But is it? These days both low- and high-quality originals of midcentury and Scandinavian designs flood the secondhand furniture markets in the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&amp;_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR7.TRC2.A0.H0.Xmid+century+modern+furniture.TRS0&amp;_nkw=mid+century+modern+furniture&amp;_sacat=0">U.S.</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ebay.fr/sch/i.html?_odkw=scandinave+design&amp;_from=R40&amp;_osacat=0&amp;_from=R40&amp;_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR7.TRC0.A0.H0.Xscandinave+vintage&amp;_nkw=scandinave+vintage&amp;_sacat=0">Europe</a>, often at reasonable prices.&nbsp;<a href="http://whiteonwhite.com/">Knockoffs</a>&nbsp;abound, and many contemporary designers use midcentury pieces as inspiration. The Ikea midcentury line offers the aesthetic at an undeniably cheap and easily accessible price point, but does it stand up for the increasingly design-savvy consumer whose tastes might be a little more sophisticated now that the midcentury trend has dominated for so long?</p>
<p>Ikea dipped its toes into its archive last year when it reissued the 1955&nbsp;<a href="http://www.dezeen.com/2013/07/22/ikea-revives-three-legged-diy-side-table/">Lovet</a>&nbsp;table, the piece that launched its flat-pack modus operandi that helped make them the home furnishings monolith that they are today. I remember seeing it online and thinking it was cute. I then spotted several original tables with exactly the same look and not too much higher of a price point at a Paris street market, as well as&nbsp;<a href="http://www.leboncoin.fr/ameublement/offres/ile_de_france/paris/?f=a&amp;th=1&amp;pe=10&amp;q=scandinave+vintage">online</a>. So why do consumers opt for midcentury Ikea when there were better options on the market, complete with their enduring cachet and inevitable charm? Even furniture and decor pieces made from cheap materials more than half a century ago seem of better quality than much of what is produced in our era of <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/18/daniel_arsham_s_welcome_to_the_future_is_an_archaeological_dig_of_20th_century.html">planned obsolescence</a>.</p>
<p>Part of the thrill of picking up a piece of midcentury design—whether in its original state, restored, or <a href="http://jada.fr/">made over to add a contemporary twist</a>—is knowing that it has stood the test of time. There’s something reassuring about sitting in a chair or putting your feet up on a coffee table that is older than you are. Ikea’s products are affordable and often nicely designed, but they are not known for their quality (except possibly in a you-get-what-you-pay-for kind of way) or endurance.</p>
<p>Ikea’s press material on the collection says that it’s “a great trip down memory lane,” and there is no denying that the pieces are part of the company’s history. Maybe the collection will help garner even more interest in retro design for the uninitiated. But to my gimlet eyes, although some of the pieces have a decent-looking aesthetic, others simply look like Ikea knockoffs from the last century that have no chance of making it to the next.</p>Mon, 24 Nov 2014 16:14:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/24/ikea_argang_collection_reissues_limited_edition_designs_from_the_50s_60s.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-11-24T16:14:00ZLifeIkea Jumps on Retro Furniture Trend by Reissuing Its Own Designs242141124001designikeaKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/24/ikea_argang_collection_reissues_limited_edition_designs_from_the_50s_60s.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Bildfeldt ABThe Eken&auml;set armchair, part of Ikea’s Argang collection of reissued designs from its archive.Will Paris’ First Skyscraper in 40 Years Be a Giant Triangle?http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/21/tour_triangle_paris_would_be_the_city_s_first_skyscraper_in_more_than_40.html
<p>Any skyscraper built in Paris is bound to be controversial. The human-scaled, largely horizontal 19<sup>th</sup>-century skyline is what defines the city, and 20<sup>th</sup>-century efforts to modernize it—the charmless 59-story <a href="http://www.tourmontparnasse56.com/en/">Tour Montparnasse</a> built in central Paris in 1973 and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_D%C3%A9fense">La D&eacute;fense</a>, a business district of high-rises pushed to the western edge of the city—are both seen as eyesores.</p>
<p>Paris’ first attempt to build a 21<sup>st</sup>-century skyscraper is known as the Tour Triangle (Triangle Tower) designed by Basel, Switzerland–based architecture firm <a href="http://www.herzogdemeuron.com/index.html">Herzog &amp; de Meuron</a>. According to the architects, the shape of the proposed building is “a singular form, an irregular pyramid based on a trapezoid” that would provide “multiple and dynamic” views depending on the angle.</p>
<p>The project has been in development since 2006, with a target date for completion in 2017. At 43 stories, the structure would be 591 feet tall (compared with the 988-foot Eiffel Tower) and built at the Porte de Versailles, the site of a sprawling, unsightly conference hall that nevertheless attracts 7 million visitors per year to one of Paris’ most unglamorous corners, serving as a sorry excuse of a welcome mat to a city with an unparalleled reputation for beauty.</p>
<p>Advocates of the plan see the skyscraper as a monument to broadcast to the rest of the world that Paris is a relevant modern city, not a “<em>ville-mus&eacute;e</em>” burdened and paralyzed by its prestigious patrimony and history. Opponents claim that the proposed building is ugly, not green enough, will cast shadows on the surrounding neighborhood, and looks out of place for Paris.</p>
<p>This week the Paris City Council <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/19/world/europe/in-paris-a-city-wary-of-skyscrapers-a-new-tower-may-rise.html?_r=0">voted against it</a> 83 to 78, to the chagrin of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who writes in an editorial in today’s edition of <em>Le Monde</em> that she <a href="http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2014/11/21/anne-hidalgo-ne-renoncons-pas-a-la-tour-triangle_4527060_823448.html">isn’t giving up</a>. She sees the project as a job creator and an important beacon to the economic generator that is the Porte de Versailles. Hidalgo is threatening to invalidate the vote, and an <a href="http://tourtriangle.wesign.it/fr">online petition</a> in support of the project includes starchitect <a href="http://www.jeannouvel.com/">Jean Nouvel</a> and <a href="http://www.rpbw.com/">Renzo Piano,</a> who designed the once-controversial, now iconic <a href="https://www.centrepompidou.fr/en">Pompidou Center</a> in central Paris. But while the fate of the Tour Triangle hangs in limbo, the debate about how to propel Paris architecturally into the future while honoring its legacy rages on.</p>Fri, 21 Nov 2014 16:41:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/21/tour_triangle_paris_would_be_the_city_s_first_skyscraper_in_more_than_40.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-11-21T16:41:00ZLifeWill Paris’ First Skyscraper in 40 Years Be a Giant Triangle?242141121001designarchitectureparisKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/21/tour_triangle_paris_would_be_the_city_s_first_skyscraper_in_more_than_40.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Herzog & de MeuronA rendering of the Tour Triangle at Paris’ Porte de Versailles, which would be the city’s first skyscraper since the Tour Montparnasse was built in 1973.What Would a Redesigned U.S. Dollar Look Like?http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/20/travis_purrington_volunteers_to_redesign_the_u_s_dollar_bill.html
<p>Recent posts on Norway’s vibrant, dynamic new&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/13/norway_chooses_pixelated_banknote_designs_from_snohetta_design_for_its_new.html">banknotes</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/17/norway_passport_redesign_for_more_security_includes_surprise_design_feature.html">passport</a>&nbsp;stirred up feelings of design envy among some readers, who questioned the aesthetics of our own staid government-issued currency and documents. American designer&nbsp;<a href="http://www.travispurrington.com/">Travis Purrington</a>&nbsp;asked himself a similar question when he moved to Switzerland to study design in 2009. <em><a href="http://www.designboom.com/design/travis-purrington-proposal-redesign-us-dollars-11-19-2014/">Designboom</a>&nbsp;</em>recently featured a look at his <a href="http://www.travispurrington.com/211378/2317660/gallery/2014-usd-proposal">master’s thesis</a>, a proposed redesign of U.S. banknotes that swaps historical figures for a focus on America’s technological and environmental achievements and brings the overall design aesthetic firmly into the 21<sup>st</sup> century.</p>
<p>Purrington told me in an email that his project came about when he noticed how Switzerland, like some other European countries, holds competitions to update its currency designs, allowing citizens to participate in <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/28/sweden_s_national_font_swedish_sans_should_countries_have_their_own_dedicated.html">the country’s branding</a>.</p>
<p>“This idea of such a strong visual change every 20 years or so within a relatively conservative culture deeply rooted in banking lead me to ask, ‘Why couldn’t the U.S. do this?’ ” Purrington wrote. “And subsequently, ‘What would it look like if the U.S. held such a competition?’ ”</p>
<p>Purrington first researched the historical evolution of the U.S. dollar, concluding that the tradition of experimentation and exploration within U.S. currency history had stagnated in the last 80-plus years. “I simply wanted to introduce the idea that there is still room to grow and innovate in U.S. culture with currency,” he said.</p>
<p>But is there really a chance that the U.S. would redesign the dollar bill?</p>
<p>“I’m not declaring that this proposal is a suitable replacement for the USD as much as I’m suggesting that one could exist,” he said. “But we simply don’t know because those gates are closed pretty tightly.” Purrington said that his proposal is not ultramodern—it’s still traditional paper-based currency. The idea, he said, is “transitional,” and he never considered it realistic. “I’ve taken great liberties with terminology and design elements that wouldn't survive the bureaucracy or banking structure. It is more relevant to say that this is a conceptual system.”</p>
<p>The look of Purrington’s banknotes seems to borrow inspiration from European currencies. But the U.S. dollar design is iconic, so Purrington had to consider a balance between facelift and complete overhaul. To do so, he drew from the modern design and art movements of the early 20<sup>th</sup> century, much of which is European-influenced; his experiences and education as a native of the Northwestern U.S.; and his observations and interactions from around the world.</p>
<p>“I tried to tie the concept of learning, discovery, authorship, and accountability into the notes in a way that was aesthetically conducive to the organisation of information more than I worried if it looked too European or not ‘American’ enough,” Purrington wrote.</p>
<p>Purrington conceded that creating a transitional U.S. currency would be challenging for any modern designer. “History is integral to the development of the nation while tradition can be a slippery slope. It’s a bit of a cultural mind game based on legacies,” Purrington wrote, also noting that the idea of presidents’ images on U.S. currency was originally shot down by Congress.</p>
<p>Purrington said the goal of his project was to start a discussion rather than propose a definitive solution.</p>
<p>“One day we Americans will make a significant move in our currency design that reinforces the evolution of our cultural climate,” he said. “That day was not in 2011 (when I designed this series) or 2014 (the date printed on them), today or anytime soon (based upon the latest unfortunate <a href="http://www.newmoney.gov/uscurrency/redesigned100.htm">$100 bill update</a>). But this is where I would start.”</p>Thu, 20 Nov 2014 17:10:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/20/travis_purrington_volunteers_to_redesign_the_u_s_dollar_bill.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-11-20T17:10:00ZLifeWhat Would a Redesigned U.S. Dollar Look Like?242141120001designcurrencyKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/20/travis_purrington_volunteers_to_redesign_the_u_s_dollar_bill.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Travis PurringtonDesigner Travis Purrington’s revamped U.S. dollars.A Futuristic Caf&eacute; Inspired by the Literary Arts and the Science Labhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/19/caf_artscience_from_mathieu_lehanneur_and_david_edwards_in_cambridge_is.html
<p>The phenomenon of the <a href="http://sciencecafes.org/">science caf&eacute;</a> has been around for a long time, an ad hoc gathering in a pub, bookstore, coffee house, or local library where strangers come to explore an interest in science.</p>
<p>But if an award-winning designer set out to specifically design a caf&eacute; inspired by science, what would it look like? The recently opened <a href="http://www.cafeartscience.com">Caf&eacute; ArtScience</a> in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one answer to that question. A collaboration between American scientist and Harvard professor <a href="http://www.davidideas.com/about">David Edwards</a> and French designer <a href="http://www.mathieulehanneur.fr/">Mathieu Lehanneur</a>, it’s part of a U.S. offshoot of the Paris-based, science-inspired art and design center <a href="http://www.lelaboratoire.org/en/">Le Laboratoire</a>, founded in 2007.</p>
<p>The sophisticated-looking space includes a restaurant, bar, auditorium, concept shop, and art gallery, billing itself as “the missing link between scientific laboratory and literary caf&eacute;.”</p>
<p>Lehanneur, an award-winning French designer whose <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/mathieu_lehanneur_demos_science_inspired_design?language=en">science-influenced work</a> is featured in museums around the world, pointed out in a press release that “the greatest innovations and discoveries have rarely taken shape behind a desk,” citing Archimedes’ bath, Newton’s apple tree, and Steve Jobs’ garage. “Caf&eacute; ArtScience would have put these three great minds on the same sofa!”</p>
<p>There’s nothing clinical about the green velvet banquettes in the main dining room that scream posh restaurant more than experimental science caf&eacute; (though the wavy but otherwise pristine white cement bar has a whiff of the antiseptic). Lehanneur says that the design is an attempt to cater to the human brain’s need for both intellectual stimulation and pleasure.</p>
<p>A honeycomb motif—“geometrically symbolizing the collective intelligence of bees,” according to Lehanneur’s website—appears in green on a light fixture suspended over the bar and in black and white to enclose an auditorium designed for conferences, creative workshops, and private dinners. (Incidentally, a honeycomb pattern is also a prominent design motif in this science caf&eacute; library in <a href="http://www.thecoolhunter.net/article/detail/2272/science-cafe-library-by-anna-wigandt">Moldova</a>.)</p>
<p>The WikiBar serves “<a href="http://media.wix.com/ugd/67efa2_b949338706c1431aa00dffe24e30ba50.pdf">experimental cocktails</a>,” and the restaurant’s upscale French-American cuisine is augmented by “food and sensorial design” from Edwards and Le Laboratoire that includes <a href="http://www.wikipearl.com">WikiPearls</a>, food surrounded by edible packaging, and futuristic <a href="http://www.wired.com/2014/11/science-inspired-restaurant-inhale-dessert-mints/">inhalable after-dinner mints</a>.</p>Wed, 19 Nov 2014 16:59:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/19/caf_artscience_from_mathieu_lehanneur_and_david_edwards_in_cambridge_is.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-11-19T16:59:00ZLifeThis Futuristic Caf&eacute; Draws Inspiration From the Literary Arts and the Science Lab242141119001designKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/19/caf_artscience_from_mathieu_lehanneur_and_david_edwards_in_cambridge_is.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of David Dziemian/Phase One PhotographyThe recently opened Caf&eacute; ArtScience in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is the U.S. flagship of Le Laboratoire in Paris.An Artist’s Tribute to the Obsolete Gadgets That Fill Our Trash Dumpshttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/18/daniel_arsham_s_welcome_to_the_future_is_an_archaeological_dig_of_20th_century.html
<p>Last weekend, just ahead of <a href="https://www.artbasel.com/miami-beach">Art Basel Miami Beach</a>, visitors to the <a href="http://www.locustprojects.org/exhibitions/index.shtml">Locust Projects</a> exhibition space got a glimpse of <em>Welcome to the Future</em>, artist <a href="http://www.danielarsham.com/">Daniel Arsham</a>’s ode to an archaeological dig full of reproductions of 20<sup>th</sup>-century media devices that clog our 21<sup>st</sup>-century landfills.<br /> </p>
<p>Arsham—who has a background in set design for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merce_Cunningham">Merce Cunningham</a> and runs the Brooklyn-based architecture firm <a href="http://www.snarkitecture.com/">Snarkitecture</a>—spent a year collecting some 3,000 boomboxes, electric guitars, SLR cameras, Nintendo controllers, push-button telephones, VHS tapes, Walkmans, film projectors, portable televisions, and other iconic objects that have lost their urgent utility to new technologies.</p>
<p>But if the installation is a comment on planned obsolescence and the wreckage on landfills, it's also a monument to the detritus produced by art exhibitions:&nbsp;Those objects, some of which were broken as well as outdated, were destroyed in the process of making the molds for the reproductions. Arsham experimented with casting techniques using ash, steel, obsidian, glacial rock dust, or rose quartz crystal to achieve a partially deconstructed effect that would nevertheless hold without crumbling. Then he dug a trench in the exhibition space’s concrete floor—25 feet in diameter and 3 feet deep—and set the objects amid the concrete chunks (some weighing up to 600 pounds).</p>
<p>“The trench presents the recent past as archeology,” says a press release about the installation, “a world of technological objects whose obsolescence was built into their design, preserved like petrified wood or the figures of Pompeii. Rather than regard these objects as individual sculptures, the artist presents them as a mass below our feet, producing a new narrative of production, history, and discovery.”</p>
<p>Ashram told the <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/visual-arts/article3773207.html"><em>Miami Herald</em></a> that he chose the materials in order to create a gradient from the darker outer edges of the installation to its pale center, with the darkest objects cast from volcanic ash, followed by ash and steel, obsidian, glacial rock, and finally crystal. He began experimenting with casting objects when he recreated <a href="http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/in-conversation-pharrell-williams-and-daniel-arsham-on-memory-creativity-and-the-casio-mt-500-keyboard/?_r=0">Pharrell Williams’ first keyboard in volcanic ash</a>.</p>
<p>“I went to art school, and you don’t learn how to cast ash in art school,” Ashram said. “I want [the sculptures] to appear that they are falling apart, but I don’t want them to fall apart. I want to keep them in a frozen stasis.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.locustprojects.org/exhibitions/index.shtml"><em>Welcome to the Future</em></a>&nbsp;is on through January.&nbsp;<br /> </p>Tue, 18 Nov 2014 17:08:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/18/daniel_arsham_s_welcome_to_the_future_is_an_archaeological_dig_of_20th_century.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-11-18T17:08:00ZLifeWhat Would an Archaeological Dig of Our Obsolete Gadgets Look Like?242141118001designwasteelectronic wasteKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/18/daniel_arsham_s_welcome_to_the_future_is_an_archaeological_dig_of_20th_century.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Daniel ArshamArtist Daniel Arsham with his new installation, <em>Welcome to the Future</em>, which is designed to look like an archaeological dig of 20th-century media devices.Norway’s Sleek New Passports Contain a Surprise Design Featurehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/17/norway_passport_redesign_for_more_security_includes_surprise_design_feature.html
<p>On the heels of its new pixelated <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/13/norway_chooses_pixelated_banknote_designs_from_snohetta_design_for_its_new.html">banknotes</a>, Norway has now overhauled the look of its passport with a <a href="http://www.dezeen.com/2014/11/15/norway-passports-id-cards-neue-design-studio-redesign/">minimalist redesign</a> that has a surprise feature on the inside.</p>
<p>When the passport is held under a UV light, a scene of the Norwegian landscape turns from day to night, revealing swirls meant to evoke the spectacular <a href="http://www.visitnorway.com/us/what-to-do/attractions-culture/nature-attractions/let-there-be-northern-lights/">northern lights</a>, and hidden text appears.</p>
<p>The winning design from <a href="http://www.neue.no/">Neue Design Studio</a> was chosen by a jury for a design competition held by the country’s national police, who wanted to update the security features of its <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_passport">current passport</a>, whose cover has all the stodgy bureaucratic pomposity of your average passport design. The new passport cover has a sleek, minimalist look (but not quite as minimal, it turns out, as this Norwegian passport from <a href="http://www.passportland.com/images/bergh-rolf-1923/bergh-rolf-1923.html">1923</a>). It includes an update of the current red passport, a blue iteration for diplomats, and a <a href="http://www.udi.no/en/want-to-apply/immigrants-passport-and-travel-document/">white and pale gray version for immigrants</a>.</p>
<p>According to the studio, a translation of the generic-sounding <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/21/design_briefs_briefly_frank_gehry_maira_kalman_david_rockwell_yves_behar.html">design brief</a> was “to find a unique concept with excellent design qualities and a theme that is widely accepted, presented through an appropriate and functional solution. The background for the competition was to increase the security of Norwegian passports, ID cards and travel document.” (Unfortunately, in the name of security, details about the design, color scheme, and UV light trick were not forthcoming. Neue Design Studio's Gorill Kvamme told me in an email: “We are a bit restricted with the information we can share, so the press release is the only document available, at least for the time being.”)</p>
<p>The widely accepted theme of the Norwegian landscape won the day.</p>
<p>“Nature has always been an essential part of the Norwegian identity and tradition,” the designers wrote in a press release. The jury called the winning look “the competition's most subtle and stylish solution. ... Aesthetically the landscape motifs have been given a distinctive look. The jury appreciates the simplicity of the solution.”</p>Mon, 17 Nov 2014 16:20:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/17/norway_passport_redesign_for_more_security_includes_surprise_design_feature.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-11-17T16:20:00ZLifeNorway’s Sleek New Passports Contain a Surprise Design Feature242141117001designnorwayKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/17/norway_passport_redesign_for_more_security_includes_surprise_design_feature.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Neue Design StudioThe winning Norweigan passport cover redesign from Neue Design Studio includes an update of the current red passport, plus a blue version for diplomats and a white version for immigrants.This Dreamy, Glow-in-the-Dark Bike Path Was Inspired by Starry Nighthttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/14/van_gogh_roosegaarde_bike_path_based_on_van_gogh_s_starry_night_glows_in.html
<p>Here at The Eye, we love a <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2013/12/26/pro_teq_starpath_uses_solar_power_to_light_victoria_park_in_cambridge_england.html">glow-in-the-dark sidewalk</a>. This week in the Netherlands, artist <a href="https://www.studioroosegaarde.net/info/about-daan/">Daan Roosegaarde</a>’s <a href="https://www.studioroosegaarde.net">design studio</a> inaugurated the Van Gogh–Roosegaarde bicycle path, a dreamy version of Vincent van Gogh’s famous painting <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Starry_Night"><em>Starry Night</em></a> come to life on a stretch of land in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuenen">Nuenen</a>, Netherlands, where the artist lived from 1883 to 1885 (before painting his universally loved version of a swirling night sky in 1889 in Provence, France).</p>
<p>Made from thousands of faux pebbles poured into concrete and covered in a smart material that allows them to charge during daylight and seem to magically glow after dark, the Van Gogh–Roosegaarde bike path marks the start of <a href="http://vangogheurope.eu/program2015/">Van Gogh 2015</a>, a European cultural and tourism initiative to commemorate the 125<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the painter’s death. The glowing bike path, with its luminescent pebbles mimicking the famous swirls of the night sky in the original painting, is part of the Van Gogh cycle route in the Netherlands’ Brabant province.</p>
<p>“The technical combined with experience, that’s what techno-poetry means to me,” Roosegaarde said in a press release.</p>
<p>Roosegaarde collaborated on the .37-mile-long bike path with Dutch company <a href="http://heijmans.nl/en/projects/van-gogh-roosegaarde-cycle-path/">Heijmans</a>. The company&nbsp;is also helping Roosegaarde build the innovative technology for his ongoing project <a href="http://www.smarthighway.net/">Smart Highway</a>, which envisions futuristic, interactive highways that include <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/video/video/2014/04/glow_in_the_dark_roads_netherlands_highway_tests_out_bioluminescent_special.html">glow-in-the-dark road markings</a>&nbsp;Roosegaarde&nbsp;calls <a href="http://www.smarthighway.net/">Glowing Lines</a>. “The bicycle path lighting is as subtle as possible to ensure minimal intrusion on the habitat of animals,” reads a Heijmans project description. “To this purpose the intensity of the light giving stones has been adapted. By incorporating lighting into the bicycle path itself, additional street lighting is unnecessary.”</p>Fri, 14 Nov 2014 16:55:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/14/van_gogh_roosegaarde_bike_path_based_on_van_gogh_s_starry_night_glows_in.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-11-14T16:55:00ZLifeThe Dreamy, Glow-in-the-Dark Bike Path Inspired by&nbsp;
<em>Starry Night</em>242141114001designbicyclingnetherlandsKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/14/van_gogh_roosegaarde_bike_path_based_on_van_gogh_s_starry_night_glows_in.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Pim HendriksenThe glow-in-the-dark Van Gogh–Roosegaarde bike path, which opened this week in the Netherlands, is based on the painting<em> Starry Night</em>.This New TV Show Experiments With Design to Deter Speeding, Jaywalkinghttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/13/dan_pink_s_crowd_control_on_national_geographic_channel_uses_design_to_tackle.html
<p>Can design help solve social problems across America?&nbsp;<a href="http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/crowd-control/"><em>Crowd Control</em></a>—a new TV series hosted by best-selling&nbsp;<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1594631905/?tag=slatmaga-20">author</a>&nbsp;and popular&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?language=en">speaker</a>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.danpink.com/">Dan Pink</a>—features more than 40 experiments across the country that use low-cost, high-impact design, technology, and behavioral science principles to try to solve a host of issues big and small.</p>
<p>For the series, premiering Nov. 24 on the&nbsp;<a href="http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/crowd-control/">National Geographic Channel</a>, Pink says that he and his team made a giant list of social problems: Why people don’t give up their seats on public transport for pregnant women or use recycling bins in public parks? Why do they jaywalk and drive too fast and park in handicapped spaces? They looked for science on what might cause the annoying, unhealthy, or antisocial behaviors. Then they looked to design and technology to build surprising solutions.</p>
<p>To tackle the issue of speeding, they offered rewards for obeying the law. Pink and his team rigged a stretch of Route 66 in New Mexico to play “America the Beautiful” when people drove the speed limit. They copied a Swedish initiative that recorded people driving at or just under the speed limit, offering those who entered into a speed camera sweepstakes the chance to win $100. They attempted to thwart jaywalking at an intersection by hanging talking street signs (“Your wife will forgive you for being late. But she can’t forgive you if you’re dead. Don’t jaywalk.”) and by installing a video game that occupied waiting pedestrians with a virtual tug-of-war until the light turned green.</p>
<p>Not every experiment worked. In one episode, Pink attempts to mimic a scheme in India in which local authorities planted&nbsp;life-size&nbsp;cardboard cutouts of&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trompe-l'%C5%93il">trompe&nbsp;l’oeil</a> police officers like scarecrows in crowded urban areas to deter bike thieves. Pink thought the same trick might work in New Orleans. He found an actor with an intimidating face (based, he said, on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2009/10/facial_profiling.html">science</a>&nbsp;that indicates men with higher width-to-height face ratios can be more prone to aggression), put him in a police uniform, photographed him, and commissioned a mini force of cardboard cutout police. “I was totally pumped by the research,” Pink told me in a phone interview. “I thought, ‘This will be a really cool, low-cost solution.’ It did deter the bike thefts. But people stole the cutouts.”</p>
<p>Another challenge came when the&nbsp;<em>Crowd Control</em>&nbsp;team tried to encourage people to take the stairs instead of an adjacent escalator in Lower Manhattan. First they planted signs that showed a typically skinny stick figure pointing toward the stairs and a fattened one pointing to the escalator.</p>
<p>“It was a total failure,” Pink says. “People ignored it. They were on autopilot and just took the escalator. And some people told me they were offended by the fat stick figure.”</p>
<p>So they tried another approach, transforming the stairs into a giant beatbox machine that surprised and compelled people to walk—or dance—up and down the stairs to see what sort of sounds they could make with their feet. In effect he had tricked people into unwittingly doing something good for their health by amusing them—and with no mention of exercise whatsoever.</p>
<p>To stop able-bodied drivers from using handicapped parking places in Austin, Texas, Pink first rode around with a van full of local activists, blocking in offenders and making them wait while passengers in wheelchairs got out very slowly. A woman with an SUV apologized; a guy with a Porsche said, “I don’t do this; it’s not a habit,” lamely offering that he was just stopping in to see some friends for a 10-minute drink. “Now I’m that guy, and it doesn’t feel good,” he said, adding perhaps a little too easily: “I’m done being that guy.” But you could see that the human confrontation had somehow registered.</p>
<p>Pink wondered if there was a more practical way to stir up empathy, so he tried to deter potential violators with human faces to remind them that parking in handicapped spaces isn't a victimless crime. Below the conventional blue-and-white handicapped parking signs he placed signs that pictured wheelchair-using locals with the words: “Think of Me. Keep it Free.” A hidden camera trained on the spots for a month showed several people pulling into spots, hesitating, then pulling out. Pink got some of the near-offenders to talk about the effects of the signs on their behavior in the sneak peek below:</p>
<p>Pink says that although the camera recorded no handicapped parking violations during the month that they had it installed, the results aren’t scientific: “We can’t do random, double-blind controlled experiments.” The idea of the show is to offer a thought-provoking, entertaining look at imaginative, practical, low-cost solutions that could be implemented elsewhere. “We didn’t have a really huge design budget,” Pink says. “This is cable television. But we wanted to find solutions that would foster creativity, to show that you can do more with less.”</p>Thu, 13 Nov 2014 16:16:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/13/dan_pink_s_crowd_control_on_national_geographic_channel_uses_design_to_tackle.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-11-13T16:16:00ZLifeCan Low-Cost Design Deter Jaywalking and Speeding? This New TV Show Tries It Out.242141113001TVdesigntvKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/13/dan_pink_s_crowd_control_on_national_geographic_channel_uses_design_to_tackle.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of National Geographic ChannelHost Daniel Pink of the new TV series <em>Crowd Control</em> in front of an interactive “beatbox staircase” designed to encourage people in Lower Manhattan to skip the escalator and take the stairs.A Typeface Designed to Help Dyslexics Readhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/10/christian_boer_s_dyslexie_is_a_typeface_for_dyslexics.html
<p>Dutch designer Christian Boer created a <a href="http://www.dezeen.com/2014/11/09/christian-boer-dyslexie-typeface-dyslexia-easier-reading-istanbul-design-biennial-2014/">dyslexic-friendly font</a> to make reading easier for people with dyslexia, like himself.</p>
<p>“Traditional fonts are designed solely from an aesthetic point of view,” Boer writes on his website, “which means they often have characteristics that make characters difficult to recognize for people with dyslexia. Oftentimes, the letters of a word are confused, turned around or jumbled up because they look too similar.”</p>
<p>Designed to make reading clearer and more enjoyable for people with dyslexia, Dyslexie uses heavy base lines, alternating stick and tail lengths, larger openings, and semicursive slants to ensure that each character has a unique and more easily recognizable form.</p>
<p>Currently featured as part of the <a href="http://2tb.iksv.org/proje.asp?id=27">Istanbul Design Biennial</a>, Boer’s <a href="http://www.dyslexiefont.com/">Dyslexie</a> typeface was originally conceived as part of his Utrecht Art Academy <a href="http://www.ilo.gw.utwente.nl/ilo/attachments/032_Masterthesis_Leeuw.pdf">thesis</a> in 2008. He has recently made it available for home users to <a href="http://www.dyslexiefont.com/en/order/home-use/">download for free</a>. Once installed, readers with dyslexia can use the font to type, print documents, read email, or browse the Web.</p>
<p>Boer says that independent <a href="http://www.dyslexiefont.com/en/dyslexia-font/research/">studies</a> from the University of Twente and the University of Amsterdam back up his claims that Dyslexie helps both children and adults with dyslexia to read faster and with fewer errors, though the results from Twente&nbsp;were mixed or statistically insignificant.* He told me in an email that since making the font available for free to individual users last June, 12,000 people have downloaded it. He says that Dyslexie is also being used “within companies such as Shell, KLM, Citibank, Pixar, Nintendo, Talpa, as well as various government agencies, many universities and other educational institutions.” The Dyslexie website includes a <a href="http://www.dyslexiefont.com/en/available-in-dyslexie/books-and-e-books/">list</a> of books and e-books available in the font. &nbsp;</p>
<p>Dyslexie <a href="https://nycdyslexiaresearch.wordpress.com/2013/03/08/dyslexie-versus-opendyslexic/">isn’t the only font designed for people with dyslexia</a>. Introduced in 2011, <a href="http://opendyslexic.org/">OpenDyslexic</a> is an open-source font that is also available for <a href="http://opendyslexic.org/get-it-free/">free download</a>.</p>
<p><em><strong>Correction, Nov. 12, 2014:&nbsp;</strong>This post originally stated that Dyslexie font designer Christian Boer said that studies from the University of Twente and the University of Amsterdam say that Dyslexie helps children and adults with dyslexia to read faster and with fewer errors. The studies from the University of Twente showed mixed results in reading&nbsp;speed and accuracy when people with dyslexia used a specialized font.</em></p>Mon, 10 Nov 2014 16:12:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/10/christian_boer_s_dyslexie_is_a_typeface_for_dyslexics.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-11-10T16:12:00ZLifeA Typeface Designed to Help Dyslexics Read242141110001designeducationKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/10/christian_boer_s_dyslexie_is_a_typeface_for_dyslexics.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Christian BoerDutch designer Christian Boer created the Dyslexie font to help people with dyslexia like himself. &nbsp;Beautiful, Terrifying Google Earth Images That Expose the Planet’s Rapidly Changing Facehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/07/google_earth_images_of_urban_change_and_environmental_destruction_mind_the.html
<p>“Mind the Earth,”&nbsp;an upcoming exhibition at the <a href="http://www.dac.dk/en">Danish Architecture Centre</a>, is a carefully curated exhibition of stunning yet terrifying <a href="https://www.google.com/earth/">Google Earth</a> images that offer stark photographic evidence of urban change and environmental destruction over time on the ever-changing face of the planet.</p>
<p>The bird’s-eye view from above can sometimes obscure the hell on the ground, as in these photos of slums, intersecting Los Angeles freeway loops, ice floe in Antarctica, or the deforestation of a Bolivian rainforest that are deceptively abstract and often beautiful from a distance. &nbsp;</p>
<p>But when images of a single spot taken years apart are carefully culled and juxtaposed, they reveal the shocking pace and ravages of change that aren’t evident from the ground, asking us to confront urgent questions about the way we live and the future of food, energy, transport, and water.</p>
<p>“<a href="http://www.dac.dk/en/dac-life/exhibitions/2014/mind-the-earth/">Mind the Earth</a>” runs from Nov. 20 to Jan. 11.</p>
<p>Via <a href="http://www.designboom.com/design/mind-the-earth-exhibition-google-earth-danish-architecture-center-11-06-2014/?utm_campaign=daily&amp;utm_medium=e-mail&amp;utm_source=subscribers"><em>Designboom</em></a></p>Fri, 07 Nov 2014 18:44:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/07/google_earth_images_of_urban_change_and_environmental_destruction_mind_the.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-11-07T18:44:00ZLifeThese Stunning Google Earth Images Expose the Planet’s Rapidly Changing Face242141107001climate changephotosgoogleKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/07/google_earth_images_of_urban_change_and_environmental_destruction_mind_the.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of DAC/Google EarthGoogle Earth images of rainforest deforestation, rapidly expanding urban areas, and sea-level changes are deceptively abstract and often beautiful. &nbsp;These Shipping Pallets Get Second Lives as Sleek Designer Furniturehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/05/recycled_wood_shipping_pallet_furniture_from_berlin_based_daniel_becker.html
<p>Love it or hate it, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/bdf988/fucking-pallets/">furniture made using wooden shipping pallets</a> is a seemingly enduring fad. Some people love a <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Pallet-Coffee-Table-From-Reclaimed-Wood/">DIY</a> wooden pallet table’s low cost and humble lines. Others find pallet furniture <a href="http://fuckyournoguchicoffeetable.tumblr.com/post/24538464891/fuck-your-furniture-made-from-shipping-pallets">clich&eacute;</a> or a bit too rough around the edges. Still others balk at using recycled shipping pallets with an industrial past that might have exposed them to toxic chemicals or other things you don’t want to drag home.</p>
<p>But Berlin-based <a href="http://www.danielbecker.eu/kimidori.html">Daniel Becker Design Studio</a> has offered an elevated take on the concept with its new line of designer pallet furniture for Berlin-based <a href="http://www.kimidori.de/">Kimidori</a>,&nbsp;which sells products made exclusively from used pallet wood. The collection includes stools, cabinets, sideboards, and seating that doesn’t betray its source material at first glance and starts at around $195.</p>
<p>“The looks of the pure ‘pallet on wheels’ pieces are very rough and DIY-like,” Daniel Becker told me. “This is not what most customers expect when they buy furniture in a shop.”</p>
<p>Becker looked for ways to use the pallet not as an object but as a source material to create a more modern take for those who shared their aesthetic views.</p>
<p>The biggest design challenge, he said, was working with the limited size and shape of the pallet boards. To make the furniture, disassembled pallets typically made from inexpensive pine or spruce wood are heavily sanded to clean them up and smooth them out (but not so much that they lose their character or scars from previous use). The boards are arranged in geometric patterns and then assembled. Their sleek but weathered surfaces were inspired by the look of wooden houses in Northern and Eastern Europe.</p>
<p>&quot;We asked ourselves, why do you have to get this particular, rough style if you want to buy recycled furniture?” Becker said. “It seemed like an unwritten law in the past that you have to recognize recycled products from miles away.”</p>Wed, 05 Nov 2014 14:12:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/05/recycled_wood_shipping_pallet_furniture_from_berlin_based_daniel_becker.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-11-05T14:12:00ZLifeThese Shipping Pallets Get Second Lives as Sleek Designer Furniture242141105001designKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/05/recycled_wood_shipping_pallet_furniture_from_berlin_based_daniel_becker.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Daniel Becker Design StudioSideboard made from recycled wood shipping pallets by Daniel Becker Design Studio. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Canadian Tuxedos, Plaid, and 20 Years of Other Anti-Sartorial Trends in the World’s Fashion Capitalshttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/04/hans_eijkelboom_people_of_the_twenty_first_century_an_anti_fashion_bible.html
<p>Dutch photographer <a href="http://www.photonotebooks.com/">Hans Eijkelboom</a>’s recently&nbsp;<a href="http://fr.phaidon.com/store/photography/people-of-the-twenty-first-century-9780714867151/">published</a> book,&nbsp;<em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0714867152/?tag=slatmaga-20">People of the Twenty-First Century</a></em>, is an anti-fashion bible for the ages. In the book, an anecdotal history of anti-sartorial global fashion trends taken over the past two decades in Amsterdam, New York, Paris, and beyond, Eijkelboom documents what people are wearing like a Dutch conceptualist version of <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/c/bill_cunningham/index.html">Bill Cunningham</a>, presenting his findings in a grid like a <em>New York Times</em> Style section spread.</p>
<p>The book features more than 500 thematic pages and some 6,000 individual images of hardcore normcore that ranges from stonewashed denim to contemporary office uniforms and the denim-on-denim ensembles sometimes known as Canadian tuxedoes (above).</p>
<p>Eijkelboom, whose photo books have long been cult objects, works like a street fashion photographer, minus the coy poses and romanticized urban backgrounds. He doesn’t look for the sartorial outliers but takes candid snaps of ordinary folks outside of shopping malls or in busy pedestrian areas.</p>
<p>In the book, American philosopher and art and culture critic <a href="http://www.davidcarrierartwriter.com/">David Carrier </a>writes in an essay that Eijkelboom takes photos in spurts ranging from 20 minutes to four hours, working stealthily so that his subjects have no idea he is photographing them. “He spends time observing passers-by before recognizing a common type, normally based on a garment, sometimes a behavior,” Carrier writes. “Back in the studio, the images are laid into grids.”</p>
<p>But if the photos at first glance seem like an indictment of our numbing sameness and tendency to conform, Carrier argues that Eijkelboom’s real intent is to reveal the individuals behind the surface similarities.</p>
<p>“Taken individually, Eijkelboom’s small photographs are as banal as their subjects,” Carrier writes. “He uses repetition to communicate awareness of difference: the closer you look at any page of this book, the more diverse you will find the people who are dressed in similar ways.”</p>
<p>An exhibition of Eijkelboom's photographs from the book is on display until Nov. 29 at Paris fashion hotspot <a href="http://www.colette.fr/content/hans-eijkelboom-hommes-du-xxie-siecle/">Colette</a>.</p>Tue, 04 Nov 2014 14:02:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/04/hans_eijkelboom_people_of_the_twenty_first_century_an_anti_fashion_bible.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-11-04T14:02:00ZLifeCanadian Tuxedos, Plaid, and 20 Years of Other Normcore Trends in the World’s Fashion Capitals242141104001fashiondesignKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/04/hans_eijkelboom_people_of_the_twenty_first_century_an_anti_fashion_bible.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of PhaidonAn Artist Who Paints With Fire and Feathershttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/31/artist_steven_spazuk_s_paintings_created_using_fire_and_feather_brushes.html
<p>Sometimes the most intriguing aspect of a work of art is the design process used to make it. As seen in the captivating video below, Canada-based artist <a href="http://www.spazuk.com/fr/home-spazuk.php">Steven Spazuk</a>’s black-and-white paintings begin with a blank sheet of paper and an open flame. He burns images onto the paper using a torch and a freewheeling hand. Next, he etches and embellishes the ensuing soot with feathers and brushes he makes himself from unconventional materials.</p>
<p>What inspired Spazuk’s unusual technique?</p>
<p>“People always ask me this question and every time I am sort of embarrassed by it,” the artist tells me in an email. “The truth is that I dreamt of it. I was in a gallery (in my dream) and was looking at that black and white landscape and I knew that it was done with fire and completely understood the technique. In the morning when I woke up I remembered that dream and started to experiment. It was a instant love affair with the medium. That was in April of 2001 and I have been working with fire ever since.”</p>
<p>Spazuk says he has spent the past 14 years perfecting his fire-painting technique, experimenting with methods for singeing paper and using what he describes as “weird brushes that will eventually give me surprising lines.” He has made brushes from the hair of a Barbie doll or the end of a frayed rope. To create the image below, a painting of his wife, he gathered up the hairs she lost during chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer and made them into a brush.</p>
<p>He ingeniously imprints delicate feathers on the charred image of a bird using an actual feather. He removes the soot by touching the surface of the paper. “The soot is so fine and sensitive, it is immediately removed when it is touched,” he says.* (Watch the video above for an up-close look at that process.)</p>
<p>The artist says that the nature of fire painting lends itself to spontaneity.</p>
<p>“Sometimes working with soot is like working with chance,” he says. “The path the soot takes is as random as the path a fish takes in the water or a bird in the air. Most of the time when I am in my studio working I don’t know what I am going to get and that is the pure joy of working with soot. … I let the drawings appear without controlling anything. I put the flame to the paper [and] let a shape appear. Searching the abstract form, I wait for a figurative revelation ... like when I was a child looking up at the clouds … ” &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>Does he ever set out with a design in mind?</p>
<p>“Sometimes my work or my image is planned, but often I go with serendipity and spontaneity,” he says. “It interests me to see what I will discover.”</p>
<p><em><strong>*Correction, Nov. 1. 2014:</strong> This post originally stated that the artist uses white paint to embellish his fire paintings. He uses brushes to remove soot from the charred surface of the paper and create a painted effect.</em></p>Fri, 31 Oct 2014 16:22:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/31/artist_steven_spazuk_s_paintings_created_using_fire_and_feather_brushes.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-10-31T16:22:00ZLifeThese Stunning Paintings Were Created Using Fire and Feathers242141031001designartKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/31/artist_steven_spazuk_s_paintings_created_using_fire_and_feather_brushes.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Steven Spazuk<em>Jerry</em>, 2001, by artist Steven Spazuk, who paints using fire. &nbsp;Sweden Has Its Own Font. Should the U.S.? &nbsp;http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/28/sweden_s_national_font_swedish_sans_should_countries_have_their_own_dedicated.html
<p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://medium.com/matter/sweden-has-its-own-font-204074d453fc">news</a>&nbsp;that the Swedish government commissioned a national font had my&nbsp;<strong><em>Slate</em></strong>&nbsp;colleagues talking last week. The font, Sweden Sans, was designed by Swedish agency <a href="http://soderhavet.com/">Soderhavet</a>&nbsp;in collaboration with Swedish font expert&nbsp;<a href="https://www.myfonts.com/person/Stefan_Hattenbach/">Stefan Hattenbach</a>&nbsp;as part of a new branding effort.<a></a></p>
<p>“One purpose of the new brand identity for Sweden was to replace the many fragmented organizational identities of Swedish ministries, agencies and corporations with one integrated visual brand identity system, to unambiguously represent Sweden in the world,”&nbsp;<a href="http://soderhavet.com/">Soderhavet</a>’s Erik Lidsheim told me in an email, noting that the font is only used for the country’s international communications.<a>*</a> “In that sense [it’s] more or less doing the same job as any corporate brand identity.”</p>
<p>So&nbsp;<a href="https://sweden.se/">Sweden</a>&nbsp;has a national font to broadcast its identity to the world. Should the U.S.?</p>
<p>“This is so fun! We should have a national font,” said one <strong><em>Slate</em></strong>-ster. What would it look like? Should it be serious or ironic? “To me the jokier American flags and eagles and guns route is the way to go with this. Also it should allow no font size below 24,” said another.</p>
<p>I think the idea of a national font is creepy. And as a post on&nbsp;<a href="https://medium.com/matter/sweden-has-its-own-font-204074d453fc"><em>Matter</em></a>&nbsp;points out, nationalism and fonts have dark historical echoes, such as Blackletter, “the thick, Gothic lettering that appeared in 12th century Europe and ended up synonymous with the Third Reich.”</p>
<p>To get some perspective, I asked professional typeface designers for their thoughts about whether countries should have their own typefaces.</p>
<p>“This is a difficult question,” New York City–based <a href="http://www.christianschwartz.com/">Christian Schwartz</a>&nbsp;told me in an email. “It depends on the country—a place with a strong visual identity like Switzerland is easier to sum up in one typeface than a sprawling and pluralistic society like the U.S., with our regional patchwork of visual cultures.”</p>
<p>New York City–based type designer and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye.html">Eye</a>&nbsp;contributor&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slate.com/authors.tobias_frerejones.html">Tobias Frere-Jones</a>&nbsp;(whose&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/09/19/gotham_typeface_tobias_frere_jones_font_from_obama_hope_poster_defines_our.html">Gotham</a>&nbsp;typeface is favored by Obama) told me in an email: “I’ve always been a little suspicious of anything ‘nationalistic,’ whether it’s politics or typography or anything else. It carries the implication that there is exactly one way to express the identity of a nation. I think an ‘American’ typeface would have an even harder time justifying itself—the whole idea behind [a] united group of states is that there isn’t a single (excluding) identity. It might be more plausible to have a series of typefaces based on the culture and history of its regions, and pile them together in a ‘family.’ ”</p>
<p>“Politically, I don't see how the whole U.S. could ever agree on one typeface,” Schwartz says. “Some subset of states will inevitably feel unrepresented by the typeface and will opt out. Aside from this, where would it be used? We don’t have a central website for all government information, like<a href="http://gov.uk/">&nbsp;gov.uk</a>, or a general-purpose site for visitors like <a href="http://sweden.se/">sweden.se</a>. We don't put as much effort into tourism advertising as countries like Brazil or Turkey. What would the context be for an American typeface?”</p>
<p>Minneapolis-based typeface designer <a href="http://www.mckltype.com/">Jeremy Mickel</a>&nbsp;also said that getting the U.S. to agree on a national typeface, let alone rolling one out in a successful way, would likely be difficult. He imagined a hypothetical U.S. typeface would take inspiration from historical U.S. sources, such as architecture, revolutionary documents (though he notes many of those used English fonts like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caslon">Caslon</a>), or other aspects of American design.</p>
<p>“Tobias Frere-Jones’&nbsp;<a href="http://www.typography.com/fonts/gotham/overview/">Gotham</a>&nbsp;fits the bill quite nicely, having taken inspiration from mid-century American architectural lettering,” Mickel said in an email to me. “In many ways it is the USA typeface, having been used in both Obama presidential campaigns, adopted by the USPS in the most recent packaging, and appearing in the logos for countless Hollywood movies.”</p>
<p>Mickel called Sweden Sans “a successful typeface,” adding that it would “likely encourage other countries to attempt similar branding initiatives.” He pointed out that other cities or states have attempted to create official typefaces, “but without an aesthetic rooted in history, it can be hard for a new design to not feel like a novelty.”</p>
<p>He said that it makes sense for companies and organizations to have strict corporate style guides, which typically include fonts. Countries, he notes, are essentially gigantic organizations, with flags, colors, and symbols acting as their brand assets. “Where it becomes difficult is that an over-branded nation can start to feel like a totalitarian state. It’s often been said that the Nazi party was the most successful identity program of the 20th century. While a national font for Sweden is charming and design-centric, a state-mandated font in a hostile regime becomes a more menacing proposition,” Mickel said.</p>
<p><a href="http://soderhavet.com/">Soderhavet</a>’s Lidsheim said that the monospaced Swedish Sans “was designed both from practical and emotional perspectives. We wanted a distinct typeface that can stand alone, but which also works well with a broad range of other typefaces, in digital as well as analog channels. We decided to go with the feeling of old signs, of mono, of a classic sans serif with a Scandinavian heritage.”</p>
<p><a></a>A U.S. typeface, he said, would follow the same logic: “What works well from a practical view in your context, combined with aesthetics symbolizing how you would like to be perceived as a country. But we would certainly recommend one thing, and that is to design your own specific typeface for the purpose rather than using any of the existing ones. In that way you are in full ownership, plus you don’t need to pay any licenses or royalties when you use it.”</p>
<p><em><strong>Correction, Oct. 28, 2014: </strong>Due to an editing error, this post originally stated that Sweden Sans is also used outside Sweden. It is only used outside Sweden for the country's international communications. (<a>Return</a>.)</em></p>Tue, 28 Oct 2014 17:10:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/28/sweden_s_national_font_swedish_sans_should_countries_have_their_own_dedicated.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-10-28T17:10:00ZLifeSweden Has Its Own Font. Should the U.S.? &nbsp;242141028001font designfontsdesignKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/28/sweden_s_national_font_swedish_sans_should_countries_have_their_own_dedicated.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of SoderhavetSweden Sans is the new official typeface of Sweden.Designer DIY Masks That Make Unique and Inexpensive Halloween Costumes&nbsp;http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/27/steve_wintercroft_diy_halloween_skull_wolf_and_pumpkin_head_masks_prove.html
<p>Halloween costumes don’t have to be tacky, expensive, or wasteful. Design-conscious minimalists with a penchant for user-friendly DIY might be intrigued by the inexpensive, handsomely designed, and subtly spooky geometric masks from designer <a href="http://www.wintercroft.com">Steve Wintercroft</a> that include templates for skulls, werewolves, and pumpkin heads in addition to a range of <a href="http://www.wintercroft.com/shop/?category=Animal+mask">animal masks</a>.</p>
<p>U.K.-based Wintercroft is a versatile designer who also builds furniture and surfboards. A few years ago, he writes on his website, he was invited to a Halloween party and struggled for a costume idea.</p>
<p>“I sat down with a pile of old cardboard, some parcel tape, a pair of scissors and plenty of hot tea,” he writes. “An hour or so later and after some trial and error I had made myself a fox mask. The mask was well received so this year I've redesigned it and added some other animals. I've drawn up the templates, written instructions and made them easy to follow. The goal is to create a set of masks that could be built by anyone using local materials removing the need for mass manufacturing or shipping and with the minimum environmental impact.”</p>
<p>Wintercroft also designs masks for music videos, fashion shoots, festivals, and special events. His downloadable $7.45 templates are designed so that anyone can make them in a couple of hours, ideally using old cereal boxes or other recycled cardboard of a similar thickness.</p>
<p>Once you purchase and download a PDF of the mask pattern, you print, cut out, score, and fold the cardboard pieces; match up the corresponding numbers on the pattern; tape them shut; and decorate as desired with paint or other materials.</p>
<p>Check out Wintercroft’s <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Wintercroft">Etsy</a> shop or <a href="http://www.wintercroft.com">website</a> for more information.</p>Mon, 27 Oct 2014 17:51:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/27/steve_wintercroft_diy_halloween_skull_wolf_and_pumpkin_head_masks_prove.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-10-27T17:51:00ZLifeDesigner DIY Masks That Make Unique and Inexpensive Halloween Costumes242141027001halloweendesignKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/27/steve_wintercroft_diy_halloween_skull_wolf_and_pumpkin_head_masks_prove.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Steve WintercroftDIY skull mask from a downloadable pattern by U.K.-based designer Steve Wintercroft.Japanese Designers Give the Ordinary Rubber Band a Hip Makeoverhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/24/nendo_s_cubic_rubber_bands_turn_the_utilitarian_object_into_a_3_d_sculpture.html
<p>The unexciting if useful rubber band has never aspired to be more than a utilitarian object. Unless stored on a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_band_ball">rubber band ball</a>, most rubber bands find themselves stranded at the bottom of drawers or, even worse, discarded after a single use.</p>
<p>As part of a new <a href="http://www.nendo.jp/en/works/stationery-collection-3/">stationery collection</a>, Japanese designers <a href="http://www.nendo.jp/en/">Nendo</a> have come up with an eye-catching rubber band redesign called the <a href="http://www.nendo.jp/en/works/stationery-collection-3/cubic-rubber-band/">Cubic Rubber Band</a>. The designers call the geometric shape of the silicone rubber bands “assertively three-dimensional.” This diagram on Nendo's website shows how they work when securing a rounded scroll of paper through one of the stretchy square openings:</p>
<p>But I wondered if the bands could be stretched wide to accommodate a stack of mail or a manuscript or if they are flexible enough to be doubled or tripled like a conventional rubber band.</p>
<p>“No,” the designers told me in an email, explaining that they had to balance the desire for rubber band–like elasticity with the firmness necessary to create a silicone structure that would hold its 3-D shape. “The geometrical shapes make the bands easy to find in a drawer and easy to pick up,” they added.</p>
<p>So while they look cool and are easy to find in a drawer, they're not as all-purpose as conventional rubber bands. But it's still exciting to see an innovative take on an everyday object.<br /> </p>
<p>Nendo’s Cubic Rubber Bands are available <a href="http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/graphia-marks/item/byn-rb1-a/">online</a>.</p>Fri, 24 Oct 2014 15:56:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/24/nendo_s_cubic_rubber_bands_turn_the_utilitarian_object_into_a_3_d_sculpture.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-10-24T15:56:00ZLifeJapanese Designers Give the Ordinary Rubber Band a Hip Makeover242141024001designKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/24/nendo_s_cubic_rubber_bands_turn_the_utilitarian_object_into_a_3_d_sculpture.htmlfalsefalsefalsePhoto by Akihiro YoshidaCubic Rubber Bands made from silicone by Japanese designers Nendo.Track Your Bag and Charge Your Phone With This Carry-On Smart Suitcasehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/23/bluesmart_the_world_s_first_smart_carry_on_suitcase_has_locking_and_location.html
<p>Carry-on luggage design innovation tends to involve subtle changes in weight, materials, the turning capacity of wheels, or surface elements like shape and color. But the team at <a href="http://bluesmart.com">Bluesmart</a>, a New York City–based company founded last year by a group of students, seasoned product designers, engineers, and entrepreneurs, has decided to build its version of the 21<sup>st</sup>-century suitcase. They have likely created a innovative leap in carry-on suitcase design with a prototype of&nbsp;“the world’s first smart, connected carry-on suitcase.”</p>
<p>Bluesmart promises smartphone app–enabled location tracking, proximity sensors that lock your bag when you lose contact with it, remote-controlled locking and unlocking, a built-in digital scale, and an integrated phone charger—all wrapped into what looks like your average wheeled carry-on suitcase, albeit with distinctive blue accents. Made of polycarbonate and aluminum, the&nbsp;Bluesmart&nbsp;weighs 8&frac12; pounds and has carry-on friendly dimensions of 21&frac12; inches by 14 inches by 9 inches. The company says in a press release that the suitcase’s technology uses “micro sensors, actuators and a microcomputer with GPS that communicated with smartphones via Bluetooth to track and communicate data to the user.”</p>
<p>In just three days since it launched a crowdfunding campaign on <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bluesmart-world-s-first-smart-connected-carry-on">Indiegogo</a>, Bluesmart has raised more than $300,000, surpassing its $50,000 goal several times over. As of today, backers can receive a carry-on for $235 (estimated retail will start at $450), with a rollout date expected in August 2015.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“After decades of no innovation in the luggage industry, we re-imagined the suitcase to solve all the problems of the modern traveler,” reads the crowdfunding pitch. “No more luggage nightmares to spoil your trips. With Bluesmart you will travel smarter, and be the coolest kid in the airport.”</p>
<p>Check out the video below to learn more about Bluesmart:</p>Thu, 23 Oct 2014 16:48:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/23/bluesmart_the_world_s_first_smart_carry_on_suitcase_has_locking_and_location.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-10-23T16:48:00ZLifeThis Smart Suitcase Aims to Ease Travel Headaches With a Built-In Phone Charger and Bag Tracking App242141023001designcrowdfundingKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/23/bluesmart_the_world_s_first_smart_carry_on_suitcase_has_locking_and_location.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of BluesmartBlueSmart is a prototype for “the world's first smart, connected carry-on suitcase.”&nbsp;How Designers Use Creative Briefs to Better Their Workhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/21/design_briefs_briefly_frank_gehry_maira_kalman_david_rockwell_yves_behar.html
<p>The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_brief">design brief</a> is an integral part of any serious design project, a typically written mission statement that crystallizes the rules to live by dictated by the creative or the client, or a consensus of the two.</p>
<p><a href="http://bassett.tv/briefly/"><em>Briefly</em></a>, a short film from <a href="http://bassett.tv/people/bio/tom-bassett/">Tom Bassett</a> of Bassett &amp; Partners, asked a handful of leading designers and architects to offer their insights on how a well-thought-out design brief facilitates the process of doing creative work.</p>
<p>The designers point out that despite its name, a design brief is often anything but concise. But it should be. The best design briefs are short, sharp, and not overly prescriptive.</p>
<p>“The thing a brief needs to articulate to me is ‘Why are we doing this?’ ” says designer <a href="http://www.72andsunny.com/about/john-boiler">John Boiler</a>, CEO and founder of <a href="http://www.72andsunny.com">72andSunny</a>, whose clients include Samsung, Nike, Carl’s Jr., and Target. Dictating the how or the what robs a creative of the freedom to solve a particular design or marketing problem, but making a clear case for why can be inspiring.</p>
<p>A design brief shouldn't be glib and isn't necessarily easy to write.</p>
<p>Advertising art director <a href="http://gxpdx.com/about.html">John C Jay</a> says that the design brief for Nike’s controversial campaign for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta was George Orwell–inspired: “Sport is war, minus the killing.” He says that he and his team stumbled before coming up with that tone-setting brief, spending a summer interviewing athletes about how they felt about competition. Jay says that above all a good design brief exists to “inspire the people who are given the task of solving the problem.”</p>
<p>Designer <a href="http://www.fuseproject.com/people">Yves B&eacute;har</a> is no fan of the design brief; when he talks about how he turned <a href="https://jawbone.com/">Jawbone</a>’s technology and algorithms into products like the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004E10KI8/?tag=slatmaga-20">Jambox</a>, he says it came from building relationships with the client, having a dialogue that allowed him to get “a deep sense of where people want to go, what they’re dreaming about.” The best design briefs are those that are able to express a larger vision, he says.</p>
<p>Illustrator <a href="http://www.mairakalman.com/">Maira Kalman</a> says her briefs contain “a deadline and a dream,” meaning the end goal that is a <a href="http://www.mairakalman.com/new-yorker/covers/">magazine illustration</a> or a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Maira-Kalman/e/B001HCWTCC">book</a> and something more “elusive and romantic, what of yourself are you going to put into the work.” In that way, many of the designers said, the design brief is personal, an opportunity for designers to use projects to show who they are and what they bring to a given project.</p>
<p>Boiler says that the best design briefs are “always the most audacious and seemingly impossible,” adding that the brief is practically “irrelevant from the moment you read it, because things are already different.” A brief might get rewritten half a dozen times during the design process, he says, as a project moves from theory to reality.</p>
<p>“When you’re an architecture student,” says architect <a href="http://www.rockwellgroup.com/">David Rockwell</a>, “the brief is God. But I’ve learned about the brief—whether it’s verbal or written—it’s our job to challenge it.”</p>
<p>Watch the full film below:</p>Tue, 21 Oct 2014 17:47:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/21/design_briefs_briefly_frank_gehry_maira_kalman_david_rockwell_yves_behar.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-10-21T17:47:00ZLifeHow Designers Use Creative Briefs to Better Their Work242141021001designKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/21/design_briefs_briefly_frank_gehry_maira_kalman_david_rockwell_yves_behar.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Bassett & PartnersArchitect Frank Gehry is one of the talking heads in <em>Briefly</em>, a short film by Bassett &amp; Partners about the role of the design brief in creative work.The Berlin Wall Resurrected, 25 Years After Its Fallhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/20/fall_of_the_berlin_wall_25_years_ago_germany_commemorates_the_wall_s_demise.html
<p>The Berlin Wall fell nearly 25 years ago, and to commemorate that momentous event, Germany has commissioned a poetic art installation to mark the Nov. 9, 1989, anniversary.</p>
<p>From Nov. 7–9, a 9.5-mile (15.3-kilometer) stretch of what was once the Berlin Wall will be illuminated by 8,000 helium-filled white balloons made of 100 percent biodegradable organic latex. (The art and design studio <a href="http://www.whitevoid.com/">WHITEvoid</a>, which is producing the installation, focused on using environmentally friendly materials.) The balloons will be attached with special clipping devices on stands that use battery-lit LEDs to illuminate the balloons like ephemeral street lamps.<br /> </p>
<p>Designed from a concept by brothers <a href="http://www.christopherbauder.com/">Christopher Bauder</a> and <a href="http://www.bauderfilm.de/">Marc Bauder</a>, the <a href="http://www.berlin.de/mauerfall2014/en/highlights/lichtgrenze/">Lichtgrenze</a> (Border of Lights) installation will include historic video footage on screens planted in several gathering spaces along the ghostly trail of the former wall and a selection of <a href="http://www.berlin.de/mauerfall2014/en/highlights/wall-stories/">stories</a> about this painful piece of German history from Berliners who lived through it.</p>
<p>Late afternoon on Nov. 9, volunteer balloon <a href="https://fallofthewall25.com/">patrons</a> will ceremoniously untether the balloons.</p>
<p>Check out this video for an overview of the project:</p>
<p>The video below includes a split-screen depiction that includes a preview of the installation alongside historic video clips of what life looked like before the wall fell.</p>Mon, 20 Oct 2014 17:20:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/20/fall_of_the_berlin_wall_25_years_ago_germany_commemorates_the_wall_s_demise.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-10-20T17:20:00ZLifeGermany Commemorates the Fall of the Berlin Wall With 8,000 Illuminated Balloons242141020001designKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/20/fall_of_the_berlin_wall_25_years_ago_germany_commemorates_the_wall_s_demise.htmlfalsefalsefalsePhoto by Daniel Büche. Courtesy of Kulturprojekte Berlin_WHITEvoid/ Christopher Bauder.Visualization of the Lichtgrenze at Brandenburg Gate that will take place on Nov. 7–9 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.&nbsp;This Gorgeous Sculpture Creates Instant Architecture in an Empty Roomhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/17/intersections_art_installation_by_anila_quayyum_agha_uses_laser_cut_wood.html
<p>Held annually since 2009 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, <a href="http://www.artprize.org">ArtPrize</a> is a democratic art competition open to anyone in the world over age 18, with generous cash prizes awarded by both a jury of experts and popular vote. For the first time, a single work—<em>Intersections</em> by Pakistan-born <a href="http://anilaagha.squarespace.com/">Anila Quayyum Agha</a>—took this year’s public and juried grand prizes for a total of $300,000.</p>
<p>Agha’s stunning piece is an obvious crowd-pleaser, a 6&frac12;-foot square laser-cut, black lacquer wood cube suspended from the ceiling and lit with a single light bulb that casts breathtaking 32-feet-by-34-feet shadows to create instant architecture in an otherwise empty room.</p>
<p>The artist, who is now an associate professor of drawing at the <a href="http://www.herron.iupui.edu/">Herron School of Art and Design</a> in Indianapolis, explains on her <a href="http://anilaagha.squarespace.com/">website</a> that the work is based on the geometrical patterns used in Islamic sacred spaces.</p>
<p>It was created to express what she describes as “the seminal experience of exclusion as a woman from a space of community and creativity such as a Mosque and translates the complex expressions of both wonder and exclusion that have been my experience while growing up in Pakistan.”</p>
<p>But the laser-cut wooden frieze was patterned after a design from the <a href="http://www.alhambradegranada.org/en/">Alhambra</a>&nbsp;fortress in Granada, Spain, “which was poised at the intersection of history, culture and art and was a place where Islamic and Western discourses, met and co-existed in harmony and served as a testament to the symbiosis of difference,” she writes.*</p>
<p>Agha says that the project relies on the “purity and inner symmetry of geometric design,” adding that viewers bring their own interpretations to the shadows. “The form of the design and its layered, multidimensional variations will depend both on the space in which it is installed, the arrangement of the installation, and the various paths that individuals take while experiencing the space,” she writes.</p>
<p><em><strong>Correction, Oct. 17, 2014: </strong>Due to an editing error, this post originally misspelled the Spanish city of Granada.</em></p>Fri, 17 Oct 2014 14:29:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/17/intersections_art_installation_by_anila_quayyum_agha_uses_laser_cut_wood.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-10-17T14:29:00ZLifeThis Gorgeous Sculpture Creates Instant Architecture in an Empty Room242141017001designartKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/17/intersections_art_installation_by_anila_quayyum_agha_uses_laser_cut_wood.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of the Grand Rapids Art Museum<em>Intersections</em> by Pakistan-born Anila Quayyum Agha on display at the Grand Rapids Art Museum earlier this month. &nbsp;John Malkovich Pays Homage to Iconic 20th-Century Images in a Wild Series of Portraitshttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/15/john_malkovich_as_albert_einstein_che_guevara_marilyn_monroe_picasso_dali.html
<p>John Malkovich is one of a handful of actors who brings his inimitable persona to every role, giving off the impression that he is playing some (often twisted) version of himself. A cultural icon in his own right, he’s also shown he is game to offer himself up as cultural fodder, &agrave;&nbsp;la <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001O37WTY/?tag=slatmaga-20"><em>Being John Malkovich</em></a>. In a new series called “<a href="http://edelmangallery.com/exhibitions-and-projects/exhibition-pages/2014/sandro-miller-malkovich,-malkovich,-malkovich-homage-to-photographic-masters.html">Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich: Homage to Photographic Masters</a>”&nbsp;by <a href="http://www.sandrofilm.com/">Sandro Miller</a>, Malkovich&nbsp;plays the parts of man, woman, and child with an eerily unsettling plausibility&nbsp;in 32 wild portraits that celebrate great 20<sup>th</sup>-century photography.</p>
<p>Miller is a successful commercial photographer with a career spanning decades. His impetus for the series was a desire to pay tribute to the great photographers and iconic photographs that inspire and inform his work. The photographer met Malkovich 17 years ago on a photo shoot, and they have been frequent collaborators since.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Miller said the actor was a natural fit for such a daring and ambitious undertaking. “My biggest fear was that people wouldn’t take this project seriously,” Miller wrote in a statement about his work. “I didn’t want these to be a parody.”</p>
<p>What prevents the photographs from being mere shtick is the quality of the reproductions, from Malkovich’s expressive postures to the lighting design, recreated sets, costumes, makeup, and prosthetics used to try and mimic the overall aesthetic of the photos, some taken more than a century ago.</p>
<p>Miller spent eight months researching in great detail how the photos were shot and how the photographers worked, doing his best to recreate the same visual effects using modern equipment and shooting in his studio in Chicago.</p>
<p>“I’m very old school,” Miller told me by phone from Chicago. “I try to figure out how to do things on set with a camera. I can’t say that I don’t use Photoshop, but I try to stick to the 5 percent rule, to use the computer like a darkroom to make corrections.”</p>
<p>One of the biggest challenges, Miller said, was lighting the photos to mimic the original photographs. He created a bank of light in his studio to imitate daylight for some photos and struggled to figure out how Pierre et Gilles created a layered photo portrait of Jean Paul Gaultier in 1990.</p>
<p>Research led him to the discovery that Arthur Sasse’s 1951 Einstein portrait was taken in the back of a spacious London taxi cab. The photographer had cropped out the people on either side of Einstein and zoomed in for that familiar tight shot of his face. The original photo was quite grainy, and Miller had to add in some post-production graininess to achieve a believable effect.</p>
<p>Edward Sheriff Curtis’ 1905 <em>Three Horses</em> photo was shot in the field, not a studio. “He shot with glass plates in a field carrying his heavy equipment on a horse to shoot those tribes and chiefs,” Miller said. “So we had to soften it up a bit and add in some imperfections.”</p>
<p>Miller was tickled to learn that Bert Stern had loosened up Marilyn Monroe with martinis for iconic shots of her covered in nothing but roses:</p>
<p>Miller hired stylist <a href="http://www.lesliepace.net">Leslie Pace</a> to assist on wardrobe, <a href="http://randywilder.com/">Randy Wilder</a> for hair and makeup, and <a href="http://angela-post27.tumblr.com/">Angela Finney</a> to build sets. Malkovich, who has a background in theater, has experience on both sides of the camera, and has created his own <a href="http://www.technobohemian.it/">fashion line</a>,&nbsp;was no puppet. He brought wax to make his own prosthetic nose for the Picasso and Dal&iacute; portraits. Miller hung the original master photographs on Malkovich’s dressing-room mirror so that he could study them while he was in makeup, being dolled up to look like Marilyn or having Che Guevara’s sparse beard recreated hair by hair on his face.</p>
<p>“I would watch him in the makeup room studying the photos,” Miller told me by phone from Chicago. “You could see him thinking about his own features and start moving his face and becoming that person.”</p>
<p>Miller says he was particularly struck by watching the actor morph into Diane Arbus’ identical twins with their intricately differing facial expressions.</p>
<p>And while the Malkovichian giveaway in most of these photos is the eyes, the photographer used lighting to de-emphasize or highlight bags, or in the case of a Salvador Dal&iacute; photograph, had an assistant pull wide open the actor’s otherwise squinty eye then move out of frame in time for the shot to be taken to give him the wide-open expression in the original photo. “And John let people do that!” Miller said, laughing.</p>
<p>Miller said that he and Malkovich are collaborating on another nine portraits in November. The original 32 images will be on display at the&nbsp;<a href="http://edelmangallery.com/exhibitions-and-projects/exhibition-pages/2014/sandro-miller-malkovich,-malkovich,-malkovich-homage-to-photographic-masters.html">Catherine Edelman Gallery</a>&nbsp;in Chicago from Nov. 7 through Jan. 31, with plans to take the show to Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, Paris, Italy, and perhaps beyond. You can also check out the 32 images from&nbsp;“Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich: Homage to Photographic Masters”&nbsp;<a href="http://edelmangallery.com/exhibitions-%C2%AD%E2%80%90and-%C2%AD%E2%80%90projects/exhibition-%C2%AD%E2%80%90pages/2014/sandro-%C2%AD%E2%80%90%20miller-%C2%AD%E2%80%90malkovich,-%C2%AD%E2%80%90malkovich,-%C2%AD%E2%80%90malkovich-%C2%AD%E2%80%90homage-%C2%AD%E2%80%90to-%C2%AD%E2%80%90photographic-%C2%AD%E2%80%90masters.html">online</a>.</p>Wed, 15 Oct 2014 13:07:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/15/john_malkovich_as_albert_einstein_che_guevara_marilyn_monroe_picasso_dali.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-10-15T13:07:00ZLifeJohn Malkovich Recreates the 20th Century’s Iconic Images in a Wild Series of Portraits242141015001photosKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/15/john_malkovich_as_albert_einstein_che_guevara_marilyn_monroe_picasso_dali.htmlfalsefalsefalseCopyright Sandro Miller. Courtesy of Catherine Edelman Gallery, Chicago.Photographer Sandro Miller’s 2014 homage to Dorothea Lange’s <em>Migrant Mother</em>, <em>Nipomo, California</em> (1936) starring John Malkovich.Norway’s Redesigned Banknotes Will Be the World’s Coolest Currencyhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/13/norway_chooses_pixelated_banknote_designs_from_snohetta_design_for_its_new.html
<p>Norway’s <a href="http://www.norges-bank.no">Norges Bank</a> invited eight teams to submit <a href="http://www.norges-bank.no/Upload/Images/Sedler_mynter/nyseddelserie/konkurranse/Norges-Nye-Seddelserie-Havet.pdf">proposals</a> for a series of sea-themed banknote redesigns. The standout concept above by architecture and design firm&nbsp;<a href="http://snohetta.com/">Sn&oslash;hetta Design</a>, which will appear on the backs of Norway’s krone bills,&nbsp;uses the abstracted language of pixels to depict coastal settings.</p>
<p><a href="http://snohetta.com/">Sn&oslash;hetta Design</a>’s original proposal contrasted the pixelated backs with timeless black-and-white photos of Norwegian coast on the front, as seen below:</p>
<p>But the bank rejected Sn&oslash;hetta’s front&nbsp;idea. It decided to use the more prosaic proposal submitted by the design studio&nbsp;<a href="http://themetricsystem.no/">Metric System</a> on the krone fronts instead, like the 100-krone note design, below:</p>
<p>Norges Bank pointed out in a press release that the banknote motifs and designs may “differ somewhat” from the proposals, as security and machine-readable elements are introduced into the banknotes before they are issued in 2017 at the earliest. Nevertheless, the pixelated banknotes are a great example of how exciting modern banknote design can be with a little risk-taking and imagination.</p>
<p>See all the creative proposals <a href="http://www.norges-bank.no/Upload/Images/Sedler_mynter/nyseddelserie/konkurranse/Norges-Nye-Seddelserie-Havet.pdf">here</a>.<br /> </p>Mon, 13 Oct 2014 15:06:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/13/norway_chooses_pixelated_banknote_designs_from_snohetta_design_for_its_new.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-10-13T15:06:00ZLifeNorway’s Redesigned Banknotes Will Be the World’s Coolest Currency242141013001currencydesignnorwayKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/13/norway_chooses_pixelated_banknote_designs_from_snohetta_design_for_its_new.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Norges BankThe back of the new Norweigan krone banknote series will feature a pixelated interpretation of the sea from Oslo's Sn&oslash;hetta Design.The Spellbinding Beauty of Chemical Reactions Captured in Ultra HD Video &nbsp;http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/10/beautiful_chemistry_videos_of_chemical_reactions_captured_in_ultra_hd_video.html
<p><a href="http://beautifulchemistry.net">Beautiful Chemistry</a> is a new digital media and technology project aimed at getting the world excited about science by magnifying the sheer magnificence and visual poetry of a chemistry experiment in full bloom. Shot using special lenses in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-high-definition_television">4K Ultra HD</a>, the videos capture the transformations caused by chemical reactions like bubbling, smoke, precipitation, and crystallization in exquisite, spellbinding detail.</p>
<p>The project is a collaboration between the <a href="http://en.ustc.edu.cn/">University of Science and Technology of China</a> and <a href="http://www.tup.tsinghua.edu.cn/">Tsinghua University Press</a>. The videos were shot by <a href="http://www.l2molecule.com/">Yan Liang</a>, an associate professor in the Department of Science and Technology Communication at USTC and designed by Liang, Xiangang Tao, and Wei Huang, instructors of undergraduate chemical experiments at USTC. I asked in an email if filming the chemical reactions from a visual design perspective changed the team's perceptions about chemistry.</p>
<p>“Yes!” Liang emailed back. In a typical demonstration of a precipitation reaction, he said, you might see a transparent solution in a test tube that turns cloudy once a few drops of another solution are added. “However, when we shot chemical reaction in 4K at very close distance without the distraction of test tubes and beakers, their unique beauty was revealed,” he told me. “I was so excited when we got the first footage of the precipitation reaction between silver nitrate and sodium chloride, a reaction probably demonstrated in all entry-level Chemistry courses. It was so beautiful, but we have never seen it like that before.”</p>
<p>Liang pointed out that it took a lot of research and trial and error to create the kind of photogenic reactions they were after.</p>
<p>“Basically, not all chemical reactions are beautiful,” he said. “We did many experiments and discarded those that couldn’t meet our standard of beauty.”</p>
<p><a href="http://beautifulchemistry.net">Beautiful Chemistry</a>&nbsp;was inspired by the influential art nouveau illustrations in German biologist Ernst Haeckel’s 1899 portfolio of prints <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/3791319906/?tag=slatmaga-20"><em>Art Forms in Nature</em></a>, which helped the public at large visualize microscopic and marine life. “We hope to follow the footsteps of Haeckel, using digital media and technology to bring the beauty and wonder from the chemistry world to a wide audience,” the Beautiful Chemistry team writes on its website. “We want to achieve a unique aesthetic of chemistry, making chemistry approachable and lovable. If our effects could get more kids and students interested in chemistry and change people's negative opinion towards chemistry, we would be extremely satisfied.”</p>
<p>Check out more <a href="http://vimeo.com/l2molecule/videos">Beautiful Chemistry videos here</a>.</p>Fri, 10 Oct 2014 13:11:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/10/beautiful_chemistry_videos_of_chemical_reactions_captured_in_ultra_hd_video.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-10-10T13:11:00ZLifeThe Spellbinding Beauty of Chemical Reactions Captured in Ultra HD Video242141010001sciencechemistryvideodesignKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/10/beautiful_chemistry_videos_of_chemical_reactions_captured_in_ultra_hd_video.htmlfalsefalsefalse Photo by Yan Liang. Chemical reaction design by Xiangang Tao, Wei Huang, and Yan Liang. Copyright Institute of Advanced Technology at University of Science and Technology of China and Tsinghua University Press.The reaction between an eggshell and hydrochloric acid generated bubbles of carbon dioxide.A Graphic Designer’s Playful, Philosophical Depiction of Time in an Overscheduled Worldhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/09/vahram_muratyan_s_about_time_a_visual_memoir_around_the_clock_examines_the.html
<p>Graphic designer <a href="http://www.vahrammuratyan.com/">Vahram Muratyan</a>’s popular 2012 book,<em> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0143120255/?tag=slatmaga-20">Paris Versus New York: A Tally of Two Cities</a>,</em> was a charming visual accounting of the subtle differences between life in those storied locales, both of which he calls home.</p>
<p>Now, his travel across four continents has inspired a broader theme for his new book, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/about-time-vahram-muratyan/1119439285?ean=9780316411004&amp;itm=1&amp;usri=9780316411004"><em>About Time: A Visual Memoir Around the Clock</em></a>, which will be <a href="http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/vahram-muratyan/about-time/9780316411004/">published next month</a>. It’s a series of riffs on our perceptions of time and memory told in Muratyan’s signature style.</p>
<p>“Time defines our relationships, our memories, our dreams and hopes,” Muratyan writes in the book’s brief introduction. The book’s spare graphics attempt to express the somewhat abstract but universally felt notions of how time both flies by and grinds along, measured in moments and everyday events, in sweeping timelines and uncharted mind maps that aim to shrink the world and capture a lifetime of human experiences.</p>
<p>An illustration about the interminable wait of a long line aptly curls into the shape of an <em>escargot</em>. The ritual monotony of long-haul flight becomes a 10-page visual poem. The world’s capitals are reduced to an ad hoc subway map. A personal map of time is comprised of past and present, souvenirs and regrets, romance and sorrow.</p>
<p>There are illustrations that capture in shorthand the arc of a pregnancy or a love affair. Time’s effect on our tastes and illusions. The seemingly epic journey of an endless commute or a sleepless night, the lost hours in the wreckage of a hangover. The boredom of doing laundry. What 36 hours looks like on a first trip to Paris. The cyclical nature of trends, the relentless rhythms of the endless news cycle, the time-snatching thievery of office jobs and smartphones, the passing of time measured in the length of a movie or a song.</p>
<p>It's the kind of simultaneously lighthearted yet philosophical book you can dip in and out of, that invites nostalgia and self-reflection as it grapples to come up with a visual language for a concept as elusive as time. At the book’s heart is an admonishment to keep an urgent eye on the sands of the hourglass in a lightning-speed world.</p>
<p>“Slow down,”&nbsp;Muratyan writes. “Press pause. Look closer, look deeply and imagine what you might do with your time.”</p>Thu, 09 Oct 2014 13:04:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/09/vahram_muratyan_s_about_time_a_visual_memoir_around_the_clock_examines_the.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-10-09T13:04:00ZLifeHow Do You Illustrate a Sleepless Night or the Monotony of Doing Laundry?242141009001designKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/09/vahram_muratyan_s_about_time_a_visual_memoir_around_the_clock_examines_the.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Vahram Muratyan/Little, BrownThe “Map of Time” from Vahram Muratyan's <em>About Time: A Visual Memoir Around the Clock.</em>Stunning Architectural Photos That Reveal How We Livehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/07/shooting_space_by_elias_redstone_and_constructing_worlds_at_the_barbican.html
<p>Modern architectural photo porn is a familiar genre in which a building is shot in the best possible light to emphasize its most flattering attributes while Photoshopping away the rest. A new book and a current London exhibition show how the art of photography can serve not only to document architecture, which photographers have been doing since the birth of the medium, but to help reveal larger truths about our relationship to the world.</p>
<p>In the introduction to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/071486742X/?tag=slatmaga-20"><em>Shooting Space: Architecture in Contemporary Photography</em></a>, author and curator <a href="http://www.eliasredstone.com/ABOUT">Elias Redstone</a> recalls Walter Benjamin’s observation that buildings can be viewed more easily in a photograph than in person. “This is as true now as when Benjamin wrote it in the 1930s, both in terms of ease of access and as a way of digesting a work of architecture, which is often a complex and layered spatial experience in reality,” Redstone writes.</p>
<p>A photograph, he writes, is more easily parsed than an architect’s blueprints. It’s also more immediate than a video. “A photograph has the ability to influence and transform the way people perceive and value a building,” Redstone says. “Although mediated, a photograph can appear more real than the building itself, as it is the image consumed most widely. However, photography is by its nature subjective and presents a highly personalized view of the world.”</p>
<p>The book includes chapters that look at photography’s historic role in helping to create iconic buildings, documenting change in cities, and revealing the ways in which man alters the natural landscape. It features 50 photographs in which artists look “beyond the surface of a building,” Redstone writes, and respond to “architecture as a subject that can reveal wider truths about society, to explore the factors that have shaped our physical environment and our place within it.”</p>
<p>Redstone is also the co-curator of an exhibition inspired by his research for the book&nbsp;<a href="http://www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery/event-detail.asp?ID=16264"><em>Constructing Worlds: Photography and Architecture in the Modern Age</em></a> at London’s Barbican Art Gallery through Jan. 11. It features 250 works by 18 photographers from the 1930s to the present, some of which are featured below.</p>Tue, 07 Oct 2014 16:14:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/07/shooting_space_by_elias_redstone_and_constructing_worlds_at_the_barbican.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-10-07T16:14:00ZLifeStunning Architectural Photos That Reveal How We Live242141007001architectureKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/07/shooting_space_by_elias_redstone_and_constructing_worlds_at_the_barbican.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Michael Wolf and Flowers LondonPhotographer Michael Wolf’s “Architecture of Density” series focuses on the looming scale of high-rises in Hong Kong. This photo, <em>No. 39</em>, was taken in 2005. “At some point I just took a photograph and I folded away the sky and the horizon until I just had the pure architecture,” the photographer says.Ikea’s New Line Tries to Fix Its Infuriating Assembly Processhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/06/ikea_regissor_series_a_bookshelf_cabinets_and_coffee_table_you_can_assemble.html
<p>The engineers and designers at Ikea apparently got the memo about how annoying it is to assemble their furniture.</p>
<p>This week the world’s favorite low-budget furniture purveyor launched <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?query=REGISS%C3%96R">Regiss&ouml;r</a>, a new line of flatpack furniture that the company claims can be assembled without tools in less than five minutes.</p>
<p>“Customers can assemble the new REGISS&Ouml;R series—which includes a bookshelf, cabinets and a coffee table, using a new IKEA-developed solution that was designed on the factory floor together with suppliers,” the company writes in a press release. “Featuring special wedge dowels, furniture pieces assembled using this technique require no tools and have no loose pieces; you can put them together using only your hands.”</p>
<p>The furniture has a lightweight design that is achieved by attaching poplar wood veneer to a frame that uses fewer raw materials. “The embossed grain surface in the poplar veneer enhances the wood feeling,” reads a product description, “and gives each piece of furniture its own unique character.” Hard to see much unique character in these product images, but the wedge-dowel assembly innovation might help win back some of a customer base scarred by previous attempts at Ikea furniture assembly, the root of <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/12/ikea-furniture-police-sweden_n_4261376.html">domestic meltdowns</a> and <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/05/10/kuka_youbots_team_can_build_ikea_furniture_for_you_video.html">familiar fodder</a> for <a href="http://www.memecenter.com/search/ikea">pop cultural memes</a>.</p>
<p>“The new solution gives consumers more choices,” Janice Simonsen, design spokeswoman for Ikea in the U.S., said in the press release. “By making it even easier to assemble our furniture, we want to give people who may find it challenging a new reason for choosing IKEA.”&nbsp;Ikea plans to expand the line in the spring.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Check out the video to hear more from the Ikea designers and see how the wedge-dowel assembly works:<br /> </p>
<p>Via <a href="http://www.fastcodesign.com/3036606/finally-ikea-furniture-you-can-build-in-5-minutes"><em>Fast Company</em></a></p>Mon, 06 Oct 2014 16:20:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/06/ikea_regissor_series_a_bookshelf_cabinets_and_coffee_table_you_can_assemble.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-10-06T16:20:00ZLifeIkea’s New Furniture Line Tries to Fix Its Infuriating Assembly Process242141006001ikeadesignKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/06/ikea_regissor_series_a_bookshelf_cabinets_and_coffee_table_you_can_assemble.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of IkeaIkea claims you can assemble this flatpack cabinet in less than five minutes without tools. &nbsp;A Mobile Standing Desk for Laptop Users on a Budgethttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/02/standstand_is_a_portable_standing_desk_designed_for_roving_laptop_users.html
<p>The well-publicized fact that <a href="http://nymag.com/health/bestdoctors/2014/sitting-down-2014-6/">sitting all day is a death trap</a> has created a booming market for standing desks. There are already infinite iterations of the modern standing desk: cobbled together from <a href="http://www.ikeahackers.net/2013/12/ikea-hacked-standing-desk.html">Ikea&nbsp;parts</a>, gorgeously adjustable but <a href="http://www.stirworks.com/">prohibitively expensive</a>, attached to a <a href="http://www.treaddesk.com/">treadmill</a> or a <a href="http://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/hamster-wheel-desk-designed-to-keep-workers-active-at-the-office-1.2022039">human hamster wheel</a>.</p>
<p>But when Luke Leafgren, who teaches Arabic at Harvard, was thinking about investing in a standing desk, he realized that what he really wanted was something that would be as portable and lightweight as his laptop—something he could use at home, in the office, at the library, in a caf&eacute;, or anywhere else he wanted to get online. So he decided to invent one.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.storkstand.com/">portable standing desk</a> isn’t a wholly new invention, but Leafgren’s <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1875488582/standstand?ref=nav_search">S</a><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1875488582/standstand?ref=nav_search">tandStand</a> is good-looking, affordable (starting at $50), light (2 pounds), and stable. And it’s already more than doubled its <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1875488582/standstand?ref=nav_search">Kickstarter crowdfunding goal</a>.</p>
<p>Made of three slim pieces of precision-cut Baltic birch plywood or bamboo that slot together quickly and intuitively, StandStand collapses to the size of a laptop so it can fit in your work bag. It comes in three sizes according to your height. It can also be used with a detached keyboard when you’re sitting to elevate your laptop screen to a more ergonomic height.</p>
<p>Leafgren explains in his Kickstarter proposal that he “experimented with ancient woodworking techniques like halved joints and<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortise_and_tenon"> mortise-and-tenon</a> joints to assemble the stand. These methods are so old that they have been found in ships buried in the pyramids by the ancient Egyptians, and even earlier in prehistoric wooden wells thought to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old! While StandStand's joinery is tried and true, it’s how these ancient joints are combined that makes StandStand unique. When the panels are locked together to harness the engineering strength of triangles, you have a product that is capable of supporting over 500 times its own weight.”</p>
<p>Leafgren sent a sample to <strong><em>Slate</em></strong>’s art director, who was struck by the clever packaging. That dimpled smiley face that appears when the StandStand’s three moving parts are stacked, it turns out, was somewhat of a happy accident that came about when Leafgren added a handle to the design.</p>
<p>“When I decided to add a handle, the material I removed combined with the mortises to create a face, giving some unexpected personality to the design,” he writes. “Dimples appeared when we added dowels to hold the panels together for transport.”</p>
<p>Check out the video below to watch the StandStand in action, or read more about it on <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1875488582/standstand?ref=nav_search">K</a><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1875488582/standstand?ref=nav_search">ickstarter</a>. &nbsp;</p>Thu, 02 Oct 2014 18:19:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/02/standstand_is_a_portable_standing_desk_designed_for_roving_laptop_users.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-10-02T18:19:00ZLifeFinally, a Standing Desk That’s Portable and Affordable242141002001designkickstarterKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/02/standstand_is_a_portable_standing_desk_designed_for_roving_laptop_users.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Lance KatigbakThe StandStand weighs less than 2 pounds and collapses into the size of a notebook.These Lego Masterpieces Capture the Fear and Humor of the “Dark” Sidehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/01/mike_doyle_s_book_beautiful_lego_2_dark_showcases_the_dark_side_of_the_world.html
<p>New York City–based graphic designer and Lego artist <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2013/10/beautiful_lego.html">Mike Doyle</a>’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1593275080/?tag=slatmaga-20"><em>Beautiful LEGO</em></a> was the ultimate coffee table book for Lego nerds, with stunning photos of Lego-based creations by dozens of artists. The follow-up to that popular 2013 book is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1593275862/?tag=slatmaga-20"><em>Beautiful LEGO 2: Dark</em></a>, out in November, that offers a look at what happens when artists from around the world let the dark side of their imaginations run wild while playing with the world’s favorite building blocks.</p>
<p>“I chose this theme because it seemed to represent a great number of works already coming out of the LEGO community,” Doyle writes in the book’s introduction. “You’ll see destructive objects, like warships and mecha, and dangerous and creepy animals; there is no shortage of material.”</p>
<p>He says, “The dark fantasies of dragons, zombies, and spooks have real-world counterparts: the unrestrained greed of bankers and financiers, the blind pollution of corporate zombies, and the fear and destruction spread by military spooks.”</p>
<p>The book includes work from Lego builders in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, Germany, Eastern Europe, China, Japan, Korea, Russia, and elsewhere. It is split into dark-themed chapters with headings such as “Creepy Crawlers,” “Skin and Bones,” “Desolate,” “Shadow Play,” “Otherworldly,” and “The Birds.” &nbsp;</p>
<p>Doyle included works that range from realistic to impressionistic. He looked for clever usage of Lego pieces, “overall beauty, thematic appropriateness, and interesting color combinations,” he wrote.</p>
<p>The dark theme is wide-ranging and refers as much to color palette and black humor in some instances as it does to more obviously dark subject matter.</p>
<p>To the certain horror of Lego purists, he also chose to include a selection of digitally rendered models.</p>
<p>“I have no doubt that this will be a controversial decision,” Doyle writes, “but some of these works were simply too compelling not to include. Building digitally broadens the playing field of creativity, letting those without access to expensive LEGO pieces build impressive works. On the other hand, digital models do not have to contend with gravity, which is a serious consideration when building with real bricks.”</p>
<p>Via <em><a href="http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2014/09/beautiful-lego-2-mike-doyle/">This Is Colossal</a></em></p>Wed, 01 Oct 2014 13:26:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/01/mike_doyle_s_book_beautiful_lego_2_dark_showcases_the_dark_side_of_the_world.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-10-01T13:26:00ZLifeThese Lego Masterpieces Capture the Fear and Humor of the “Dark” Side242141001001legodesignKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/01/mike_doyle_s_book_beautiful_lego_2_dark_showcases_the_dark_side_of_the_world.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of No Starch Press<em>Nerd Rage</em> by Chris McVeigh, 2011.Architecture’s Greatest Hits, From Prehistory to the Present, in a Single Posterhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/29/the_schematic_of_structures_the_greatest_architecture_in_a_single_poster.html
<p>Brooklyn-based <a href="http://popchartlab.com">Pop Chart Lab</a>—makers of such visual compendia as the <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/life/slate_labs/2013/10/giant_chart_of_beers_shows_500_ales_and_lagers.html">chart of 500 beers</a>, <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/life/map_of_the_week/2013/08/pasta_shapes_chart_different_types_of_pasta_mapped.html">pasta permutation map</a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Great-Gatsby-Scott-Fitzgerald/dp/0743273567"><em>The Great Gatsby</em></a> as an infographic—has turned its sights toward architecture.</p>
<p>“<a href="http://popchartlab.com/collections/prints/products/the-schematic-of-structures">The Schematic of Structures</a>” is a handily compiled 18-inch-by-24-inch poster that is a greatest hits of architectural monuments from prehistory to the present, including the Greek Parthenon, Buckingham Palace, and Freedom Tower.&nbsp;Each of the 90 chosen buildings are hand-illustrated to scale in a blueprint-inspired style, and include the location, year construction began, height,&nbsp;and primary architectural style.</p>
<p>“We tried to gather an eclectic mix of structures,” the designers said in an email about their criteria for choosing which landmarks made the cut. “Historical and architectural significance were probably the most important criteria—the usual suspects such as the Pyramids and Stonehenge, as well as some lesser-known structures such as the Cairn of Barnenez, which is widely regarded as oldest manmade structure still standing. But we also made room for historically and/or visually interesting structures, e.g., the Ryugyong Hotel in North Korea, which has been under construction since 1987 and at one point was reportedly consuming around 2% of the country's GDP.”</p>
<p>They wrote that one of the challenges of creating the poster was “figuring out how exactly to illustrate some structures (especially the more ornate ones) in a minimalist vector style while still making its character shine through to the reader.”</p>
<p>Why did they choose to line buildings up by height? Were they making a statement about the relationship between height and architectural achievement?</p>
<p>“There isn't necessarily a relationship between height and majesty,” the designers said. “Some of the most amazing achievements are indeed those before the modern era. But height did provide a data point that illustrated the Babel-like ambitions of modern architects who are empowered by new technology and have the entire survey of mega-structural history as a catalog of inspiration.”</p>
<p>Via <em><a href="http://www.archdaily.com/551424/90-of-mankind-s-greatest-architectural-achievements/">ArchDaily</a>&nbsp;</em><br /> </p>Mon, 29 Sep 2014 15:57:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/29/the_schematic_of_structures_the_greatest_architecture_in_a_single_poster.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-09-29T15:57:00ZLifeArchitecture’s Greatest Hits, From Prehistory to the Present, in a Single Poster242140929001architecturedesignKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/29/the_schematic_of_structures_the_greatest_architecture_in_a_single_poster.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Pop Chart LabSome of the world's greatest architectural hits in one poster from Pop Chart Lab.How Doodles and Sketches Become Gorgeous Infographicshttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/26/infographic_designers_sketchbooks_by_steven_heller_and_rick_landers_reveals.html
<p>Infographics are a staple of modern media. At their best, they’re elegant, streamlined visual capsules of information that help us process complex data at a glance. In<em> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1616892862/?tag=slatmaga-20">Infographic Designers' Sketchbooks</a></em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Infographics-Designers-Sketchbooks-Steven-Heller/dp/1616892862"> </a>by Steven Heller and Rick Landers, out in October, more than 50 leading graphic designers and illustrators from around the world share their creative processes behind the art and science of data visualization.</p>
<p>Using graphic shorthand to convey complex information has been used in magazines and newspapers since the 19<sup>th</sup> century, Heller writes, but today “a greater number of platforms and media outlets means it is incumbent on designers, who a decade ago would never have thought of themselves as ‘information architects,’ to become makers of some form of information visualization.”</p>
<p>The book reveals various designers’ methods for developing and fleshing out ideas, from sketching drawings and doodles to digital mock-ups. “Making enticingly accurate infographics requires more than a computer drafting program or cut-and-paste template,” Heller writes. “The art of information display is every bit as artful as any other type of design or illustration, with the notable exception that it must tell a factual or linear story, rather than an expressive tale or polemical message.”</p>
<p>British-born designer Tim Hucklesby of Doyle Partners in New York always starts a project by sketching with pen or pencil. “I want to get the concept pinned down before moving to the computer,” he says in the book. “I’ve found going straight to the machine tends to pull me down certain avenues, using techniques that I’ve used in the past. If I start on paper, I worry far less about how I’m going to make the finished piece and aim for something a bit more ambitious as a result.”</p>
<p>In the infographic above, he charts his Netflix streaming consumption over the course of a year.</p>
<p>German designer Jan Hartwig starts every project with a sketch, whether on the computer or in a notebook on his desk. Below is an infographic he created to chart the daily life of one inmate in the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, based on the Secret Orcon Interrogation Log Detainee 063, written by Mohammed al-Qahtani, who has been imprisoned there since 2002.</p>
<p>“It shows the complex and psychological relations of the interrogation and provides a unique insight into the life in the cells of Guantanamo Bay,” Hartwig says in the book. “The log was analytically regarded and structured in form of diagrams, which have an explaining function and refer to individual logged circumstances. In addition, they illustrate the existing contradiction between emotional events and the objectivity of the log.”</p>
<p>Philadelphia-based design Paul Kepple of Headcase Design tends toward heavily illustrated infographics and finds that starting by making pencil sketches helps him to create a more dynamic layout. “It’s a quick way to try out different layouts and compositions to see what works best,” he says in the book. “The client also needs to approve the concept and layout, so doing quick pencils keeps things moving on their end, and helps avoid time-consuming changes at a later stage.”</p>
<p>In 2009, he did a series of infographics gatefolds for <em>Time</em> magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of the Year issue that was a numerical depiction of what made the year's winners so influential.</p>
<p>Connecticut-based designer Nigel Holmes is an infographics pioneer. “As graphics editor for <em>Time</em> magazine, Holmes arguably launched the data-visualization movement,” the authors write, adding that he has been “a devoted sketcher” since the 1960s, when students at his college were required to carry sketchbooks at all times. He created an infographic for <em>USA Today</em> based on the Department of Agriculture’s introduction of a new food pyramid in 2005 that was meant to be a simpler diagram to show people what they should be consuming on a daily basis.</p>
<p>In 2011, Brooklyn-based designer Karin Soukup created an app for cancer survivors that prompts users to track their daily emotional ups and downs. She says that she is most drawn to designs that have a psychological component: “I like the challenge of framing information sets that try to quantify highly qualitative information.”</p>Fri, 26 Sep 2014 15:27:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/26/infographic_designers_sketchbooks_by_steven_heller_and_rick_landers_reveals.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-09-26T15:27:00ZLifeHow Designers Create Gorgeous Infographics From Scratch242140926001designinfographicsKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/26/infographic_designers_sketchbooks_by_steven_heller_and_rick_landers_reveals.htmlfalsefalsefalseCopyright Tim HucklesbyOne designer charted his movie viewing on Netflix over a year, a process that began with a sketch (final infographic at bottom right).High-Concept Stuff Designed to Remind People That They Don’t Need Stuff &nbsp;http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/23/elliott_spelman_of_roshambusiness_designs_high_concept_useless_objects_that.html
<p>The other day I received an email from <a href="http://ebspelman.com/">Elliott Spelman</a>, a young guy looking to spread the word about a new design-related <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/501803065/the-roshambusiness">Kickstarter project</a>.</p>
<p>“It's called The <a href="http://www.rosham.biz/">RoShamBusiness</a>,” he wrote, “and our products are literal things. That is, we take ideas from language (idioms, figures of speech, etc.) and make them into consumer items. Rock paper scissors. <a href="https://soundcloud.com/ebspelman/roshambark1">Falling trees that no one has heard</a>. <a href="http://blog.rosham.biz/2014/06/11/making-a-sandwich-with-everything/">Sandwiches with everything</a>.”</p>
<p>He called them anti-products. “Their only real feature is to accurately reflect the piece of language they represent,” he said.<br /> </p>
<p>Spelman's <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/501803065/the-roshambusiness">Kickstarter proposal</a> explains that the “RoShamBusiness is dedicated to giving new (and probably unnecessary) life to ideas that previously only existed as ideas. We’re taking concepts with a high degree of meaning and making objects with no degree of meaning. ... We want to make incredibly self-congratulatory, useless things that require a surprising amount of money to purchase.” Spelman said his target audience is people in their 20s and 30s with liberal arts educations who like puns and who “have highly attuned corporate BS detectors.”</p>
<p>Spelman, who graduated from University of Southern California with a degree in English and economics in 2011 and has a <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/elliott-spelman/20/932/1a2">day job in marketing</a>, told me in a follow-up email that the idea for a design business making useless things began as a joke based on the age-old childhood game of rock, paper, scissors.</p>
<p>“My friends and I had a running joke about a pair of scissors made out of rock and paper that was, in our minds, kind of the ‘ultimate product,’ ” Spelman said. “You could apply any advertising boast to it, and people would just want it more. We'd say things like, ‘Newer. Faster. More Powerful. RoShamBizzers. Now with more!’ For some reason that juxtaposition of advertising tropes with products that could never fulfill them was just really funny to us. So I kind of just ran with it.”</p>
<p>An elaborate process went into creating RoShamBark, a $44 block of wood that was made by remotely staging the felling of a tree in the forest, then engraving a block of wood from the felled tree with a QR code of <a href="https://soundcloud.com/ebspelman/roshambark1">the sound it did or did not make</a>.</p>
<p>Here's audio from the making of the RoShamBark prototype:<br /> </p>
<p>Creating the $55 RoShamBamwich—an inedible sandwich with everything in it—entailed placing slices of bread at exactly the same moment on the ground in perfectly<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antipodes"> antipodal</a> locations, one near <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/preview?q=36.72331+S,+175.72601+E&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=0x6d725a8a72e5a705:0x5417c813e87ae093,167+Kuaotunu+Wharekaho+Rd,+Kuaotunu+3592,+New+Zealand&amp;gl=us&amp;ei=14qOU6X6Icf0oATflIBQ&amp;ved=0CB8Q8gEwAA">Kuaotunu, New Zealand,</a> and the other in <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/36%C2%B043%2723.9%22N+4%C2%B016%2726.4%22W/@36.72331,-4.27399,15z/data=%213m1%214b1%214m2%213m1%211s0x0:0x0">Rinc&oacute;n de la Victoria, Spain</a>. (Details of that adventure can be found on the <a href="http://blog.rosham.biz/2014/06/11/making-a-sandwich-with-everything/">RoShamBusiness website</a>.)<br /> </p>
<p>Last but not least, their rather self-explanatory RoShamGrain(ofSalt), grains of salt packaged like pills, is being billed as “the greatest product of all time.”<br /> </p>
<p>In the works are the RoShamBandwagon: “A music-playing wagon that's impossibly hard to get on to and only has room for one person,” and the RoShamBackOfYourHand: “A semi-functional watch that takes pictures of the back of your hand and posts them to Facebook so everyone can know the back of your hand like the back of your hand.”</p>
<p>Spelman said the products he’s offering are the antithesis of something like the wildly overfunded<a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1645027465/memobottle-a4-a5-and-letter-reusable-water-bottles?ref=category"> Kickstarter project</a> that will manufacture water bottles in A4 and A5 paper dimensions to slot into your work bag. “It's incredibly well-designed,” Spelman said. “It's very beautiful. People are drawn to that. ... Now with the RoShamBusiness, the freely acknowledged lack of a practical application is off-putting. If the question of ‘Why would I want this?’ is allowed to echo unanswered in the buyer's mind, that's an interesting thing. I think it actually angers/upsets some people. Or at least I hope it does.”</p>
<p>I couldn’t figure out whether Spelman was taking a moral stance against consumerism or simply trying to find a way to get in on the crowdsourcing action with an elaborate intellectual disclaimer. Perhaps the RoShamBusiness is really a business idea more than a thought experiment. Or perhaps Spelman launched the campaign to sell clever but useless products to make his perfectly valid points about consumerism (and crowdfunding campaigns). The RoShamBark might not be all that different from a useless unigadget sold on a shopping channel, apart from the knowing irony and cleverness. And perhaps appealing to consumers’ intellect is just another way of tricking them into paying him for what is possibly an elaborate joke.</p>
<p>“I think it's important to be ambiguous about the degree to which I'm ‘serious,’ ” Spelman said. “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Klosterman">Chuck Klosterman</a> has a theory that for a piece of satire to be successful: 35% of people have to be in on the joke and 65% of people have to be oblivious. I'm not sure the RoShamBusiness will match that ratio, but maybe! Successful satire often has to take the form of the medium that its message is criticizing,” he said, citing <em>The Daily Show</em> and the<em> Onion</em> as examples.</p>
<p>“I have this romantic notion of the RoShamBusiness providing kind of like a ‘poison pill’ for useless junk,” he said. “On the website there's a line about the RoShamBizzers being ‘the last product you'll ever need to buy.’ And I really would like it to act as a reminder that there are more important things than stuff. The RoShamBusiness stands for the fact that IDEAS &gt; PRODUCTS. More meaning is to be found in the world of ideas than in the world of physical goods, and we shouldn't get confused about that.”</p>Tue, 23 Sep 2014 15:33:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/23/elliott_spelman_of_roshambusiness_designs_high_concept_useless_objects_that.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-09-23T15:33:00ZLifeHigh-Concept Stuff Designed to Remind People That They Don’t Need Stuff&nbsp;242140923001designkickstarterKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/23/elliott_spelman_of_roshambusiness_designs_high_concept_useless_objects_that.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Elliott SpelmanRoShamBusiness is taking “concepts with a high degree of meaning and making objects with no degree of meaning.”This Whimsical Driverless Car Imagines Transportation in 2059http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/19/dominic_wilcox_designs_driverless_sleeper_car_of_the_future_in_stained_glass.html
<p>Designer <a href="http://dominicwilcox.com/portfolio/stained-glass-driverless-sleeper-car-of-the-future/">Dominic Wilcox </a>has dreamed up an improbable but dazzling stained glass “Driverless Sleeper Car of the Future,” currently on display at <a href="http://thedesignjunction.co.uk/">Designjunction</a>, part of the <a href="http://www.londondesignfestival.com/">London Design Festival</a>, until Sunday. The project is part of the <a href="http://www.dezeen.com/2014/09/09/movie-behind-the-scenes-dominic-wilcox-stained-glass-driverless-car/"><em>Dezeen</em> and Mini “Frontiers”</a>&nbsp;exhibit on the future of mobility.</p>
<p>The tricked-out&nbsp;Mini prototype has a tortoiselike, multicolored stained glass shell that lifts up to reveal a single bed. The frame was cut with a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numerical_control">computer numerical control&nbsp;machine</a> and slotted together. The stained glass was hand-cut and attached to the frame with a meticulous copper foiling technique, also used to make <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiffany_lamp">Tiffany lamps</a>, before being connected to the Mini chassis.</p>
<p>“I propose that in the year 2059 it will be statistically proven that it is safer to ride in a computer controlled ‘driverless’ vehicle than to ride in a human driven vehicle,” the designer wrote on his <a href="http://dominicwilcox.com/portfolio/stained-glass-driverless-sleeper-car-of-the-future/">website</a>. “This means that driverless vehicles will not require the typical safety equipment we see on current cars such as air bags and bumpers. We will simply require a living space on wheels. The technology of the motor and driverless, automated navigation system will be held within a standard, modular chassis, on to which any living space shell can be built.”</p>
<p>Wilcox said the stained glass epiphany came to him after a visit to Durham Cathedral. “The stained glass element also developed out of my interest in taking what I admire from objects of the past and merging it with technology of the future, to create a new vision,” he writes. “I … was struck by the wonderful stained glass windows there. I wanted to bring the visual experience I had in the cathedral into a new, contemporary, three dimensional form.”</p>
<p>The car is a beautiful and whimsical object, but like all dreams, it is easy to poke holes in. Why create a design that effectively blocks out the scenery, even if it’s a sleeper car? Why choose something as beautiful as stained glass if the passenger will sleep through it? Why make a sleeper car, which ostensibly would be used more at night, when stained glass needs daylight to come alive? Apparently Wilcox’s dream of a future in which you can sleep your way to your next destination like a passenger on an airplane includes the eradication of auto theft and the ubiquity of stained-glass, shatterproof windows.</p>
<p>Check out more ideas from Wilcox about the shape-shifting driverless cars of his imagined future on a concept <a href="http://taxirobot.co.uk/">website</a>&nbsp;for the year 2059.</p>Fri, 19 Sep 2014 16:50:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/19/dominic_wilcox_designs_driverless_sleeper_car_of_the_future_in_stained_glass.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-09-19T16:50:00ZLifeThis Whimsical Driverless Car Imagines Transportation in 2059242140919001designcarsdriverless carstransportationKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/19/dominic_wilcox_designs_driverless_sleeper_car_of_the_future_in_stained_glass.htmlfalsefalsefalsePhoto by Sylvain DeseuDesigner Dominic Wilcox’s “Driverless Sleeper Car of the Future.”How One of the Most Prolific Known Forgers in Modern History Faked Great Works of Arthttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/18/mark_landis_documentary_art_and_craft_offers_a_behind_the_scenes_look_at.html
<p>For three decades, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_A._Landis">Mark A. Landis</a> conned the art world by deftly copying works by great artists then donating his forgeries to dozens of museums under his own name and a roster of assumed names and identities that ranged from philanthropist to a priest.</p>
<p>But in 2008, his nonmercenary but questionable antics were discovered by a museum registrar named Matthew Leininger, who appointed himself lead detective on an obsessive quest to expose and stop Landis. (Landis has never faced prosecution for his actions, which, while clearly deceptive, have not been found to be illegal.)</p>
<p>An article in the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/12/arts/design/12fraud.html?pagewanted=all&amp;_r=0"><em>New York Times</em></a> about Landis inspired <a href="http://artandcraftfilm.com/"><em>Art and Craft</em></a>, a new documentary directed by Sam Cullman and Jennifer Grausman (with co-direction by Mark Becker) that opens in New York City on Friday. But even for those familiar with the story, which has since been covered around the world, the documentary presents a compelling look at Landis himself and the surprising process he used to reproduce 15<sup>th</sup>-century religious icons, Picassos, and Walt Disney characters using supplies from local craft stores in Laurel, Mississippi, where he lives.</p>
<p>Copying pictures from catalogs was a habit Landis picked up as a child while traveling in Europe with his parents, who would leave him alone in hotel rooms in the evenings. “It’s reassuring,” he says in the film. Over the years, he perfected a technique in which he would place a sheet of paper directly over a catalog&nbsp;painting and flip it back and forth between the image and the paper, able to hold the image in his mind just long enough to copy it. In the ensuring years, he has developed an arsenal of tricks: photocopying images from catalogs blown up to the size of the originals to use as templates, using coffee to stain the backsides of framed works to age them convincingly—all while watching old TV and films in his bedroom. &nbsp;</p>
<p>Landis learned about Picasso’s Blue Period from a movie, not art school. He didn’t grow up fantasizing about becoming an artist, he says, but a philanthropist, the kind of characters in old movies set in and around the art world seemed like they were getting the kindest attention and having all the fun.</p>
<p>Far from a central-casting version of a slick con artist, Landis is nevertheless a compelling leading man in this gently told portrait of his life. Born in 1955 and diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 17, he lives alone in his deceased mother’s apartment. He has a measured, Truman Capote–esque speaking voice. He is often medicated in a way that alters his affect but never dulls his wit. Once found out, he seemed genuinely if naively concerned that people are angry at him for what he did.</p>
<p>When explaining his motivation, he says that he is simply making use of his gifts. “I have no delusions about being any sort of ... great artist,” he says, when asked why someone of his skill and determination doesn’t devote his energy to his own work. “I decided to be a philanthropist,” he says.</p>
<p>Landis remains a mysterious figure, even after this intimate portrait tells his story. But listening to him talk does offer the occasional epiphany as to why a man of such talent and skill has only one original work of art to his credit: a portrait made after a photograph of his young mother. After spending several years in a mental institution starting at 17, Landis studied photography, but he never earned a degree. Once he had learned basic photography skills, he said, “I couldn’t think of a thing I wanted to photograph.”</p>Thu, 18 Sep 2014 16:47:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/18/mark_landis_documentary_art_and_craft_offers_a_behind_the_scenes_look_at.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-09-18T16:47:00ZLifeHow One of the Most Prolific Known Forgers in Modern History Faked Great Works of Art242140918001Kristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/18/mark_landis_documentary_art_and_craft_offers_a_behind_the_scenes_look_at.htmlfalsefalsefalsePhoto by Sam Cullman. Courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories.Mark Landis at home and at work copying a Picasso.These Outdoor Cat Shelters Have More Style Than the Average Homehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/16/stunning_outdoor_cat_shelters_by_l_a_based_architects_photos.html
<p>These inspired outdoor cat shelters created by some of Los Angeles’ leading design firms were made for <a href="http://www.architectsforanimals.com/">Architects for Animals</a>’ Giving Shelter, a benefit event for feline charity <a href="http://fixnation.org/">FixNation</a>&nbsp;held on Wednesday at the Herman Miller showroom in L.A.</p>
<p>All of the shelters have been donated to FixNation, which spays and neuters homeless cats across L.A. A publicist for the event told me that the charity would choose the best locations for the cat shelters, which will be used “on private property where cats live out of doors.”</p>Tue, 16 Sep 2014 16:20:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/16/stunning_outdoor_cat_shelters_by_l_a_based_architects_photos.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-09-16T16:20:00ZLifeThese Outdoor Cat Shelters Have More Style Than the Average Home242140916001animalsdesignKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/16/stunning_outdoor_cat_shelters_by_l_a_based_architects_photos.htmlfalsefalsefalsePhoto by Grey CrawfordCat shelter designed by Lehrer Architects. &nbsp; &nbsp;The Design Bible Behind New York City’s Subway&nbsp;Republished as a Limited-Edition Bookhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/15/nyc_transit_authority_graphics_standards_manual_by_massimo_vignelli_and.html
<p>The New York City subway was a confusing mess in the 1960s, with inconsistent, haphazard signage that made navigating the system a nightmare for commuters. In 1967, the New York City Transit Authority decided to do something about it. They hired Massimo Vignelli and Bob Noorda of the design firm Unimark International to design an improved signage and wayfinding system. The designers spent four years studying the labyrinth of the subway, analyzing the habits of commuters, and devising the iconic visual identity of the NYC subway that is still in use today, documented in the 1970 <em>New York City Transit Authority Graphic Standards Manual</em>.</p>
<p>In 2012, designers Jesse Reed and Hamish Smyth of New York City design firm <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2013/10/15/divine_design_how_a_landmark_church_uses_humor_to_combat_earthly_sin.html">Pentagram</a> discovered a rare copy of the manual in their office’s basement. They created a <a href="http://thestandardsmanual.com/">website</a> that included scans of the manual to serve as a digital archive of the work that they call “one of the world’s classic examples of modern design” and shared it with friends. Within 72 hours, more than a quarter-million people had browsed the images, and they decided to approach the MTA about republishing the manual in all its full-size, printed glory.</p>
<p>The MTA granted permission to reissue the manual as a hardcover book, on the condition that it only be made available during the length of a 30-day <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thestandardsmanual/full-size-reissue-of-the-nycta-graphics-standards">Kickstarter campaign</a>&nbsp;to assure that the book will become and remain a collectible.</p>
<p>Reed told me in an email that he and Smyth are “completely shocked” by the reaction to the project, which has already received more than $500,000 in crowdfunding—more than five times its funding goal—in less than a week. “Our intentions were to maybe sell 500 books, 1,000 if we were really lucky,” he said, “but these numbers were only in our wildest dreams. That said, we're excited that so many people will be able to buy a copy while we have the opportunity to print it.”</p>
<p>The manual will be printed using high-quality scans of the ring-binder original. Although the reprint will have a sewn binding, it will remain faithful to its single-sided page format. It will include an introduction by Vignelli’s prot&eacute;g&eacute; and Pentagram partner, Michael Bierut, and an essay from <em>New York</em> magazine’s Christopher Bonanos.</p>
<p>Reed emphasized that the manual is meant to be read as much as seen. He pointed to a passage on letter spacing that demonstrates how Vignelli and Noorda expected serious attention to every detail:&nbsp;“A modular system has been devised, which offers consistent spacing for letters and words for the three sizes of type. This unit system must be scrupulously adhered to at all times as this will preclude any inconsistency, regardless of where or when any given sign is being manufactured.”</p>
<p>Reed pointed out that “the vernacular that’s written into the guidelines is different than the subway language itself, but there's harmony between the two. Unimark had clear and intentional conclusions about directional instructions for the passenger, and in order for that language to work, the guidelines had to be written with confidence, clarity, and conviction.”</p>
<p>Did reading the manual change the way riders experience the NYC subway or cause them to have epiphanies about elements of the design that they may have overlooked?</p>
<p>“Absolutely,” Reed said. “I think we both agree that every time we transfer from one train to another, we're more conscious of how these decisions needed to be observed, defined, and successfully implemented. These guys literally spent months analyzing the traffic and behaviors of subway riders. Legend has it that Noorda spent weeks underground stalking riders to study their movements.”</p>
<p>As for the design itself, he added, “there are moments of beauty in the most minute details. For example, the four-degree reduction on the diagonal bar of the arrow, which allows for visual accuracy, rather than mechanical calculation.”</p>
<p>In a press release about the project, Bonanos of <em>New York</em> magazine said: “The Standards Manual looks like arcana, and in many ways it is. But it is also an artifact from a really important moment in the history of New York: the point when the city began to realize it couldn’t just take the subway system for granted and focus all its attention on highways and car culture. The enlightenment didn’t come right away—in the 1970s, many things about the subway got worse before they got better—and signs were a small part of that rebirth, but they were a highly visible one.”</p>
<p>For more information about the <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thestandardsmanual/full-size-reissue-of-the-nycta-graphics-standards">Kickstarter project</a>, which runs until Oct. 10, check out this video narrated by Bierut<em>:</em></p>
<p><em><strong>*Correction, Sept. 15, 2014: </strong>This post originally misstated the size of the reprinted&nbsp;</em>New York City Transit Authority Graphic Standards Manual. <em>It will be 13.5 inches by 13.5 inches, not 14.25 inches by 13.5 inches.</em></p>Mon, 15 Sep 2014 15:51:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/15/nyc_transit_authority_graphics_standards_manual_by_massimo_vignelli_and.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-09-15T15:51:00ZLifeThe Rare, Iconic Design Guide Behind New York City Subway Signs Returns to Print242140915001designfontstransportationKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/15/nyc_transit_authority_graphics_standards_manual_by_massimo_vignelli_and.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Jesse Reed and Hamish SmythThis rare copy of the <em>New York City Transit Authority Graphic Standards Manual</em> was discovered in 2012 in the basement of Pentagram in NYC. It still bears the stamp of its owner.Designers Turn Tel Aviv Street Art Into One-of-a-Kind Furniturehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/11/ariel_zuckerman_and_eran_shimshovitz_turn_tel_aviv_street_art_into_one_of.html
<p>Tel Aviv–based industrial designers Ariel Zuckerman and Eran Shimshovitz came up with a creative way to get local street artists to help them design their new line of furniture. They hung wooden boards around the southern Tel Aviv neighborhood near their workshop and waited for graffiti artists to do their work.</p>
<p>The designers surveilled the progress of the boards each morning. Sometimes they were left untouched.</p>
<p>They watched as pencil sketches appeared and layers of paint were added and images came to life.</p>
<p>Once they were satisfied with works of anonymous street art, they took the boards back to their studio and deconstructed them, fashioning them into a series of vibrant one-of-a-kind “<a href="http://ariel-design.com/mov.html">Street Capture</a>” furniture that includes a console, coffee table, and end tables.</p>
<p>Zuckerman told me in an email that they didn’t leave instructions for the artists or otherwise publicize the project in order to achieve a spontaneous result. They bill the project as a way to preserve the spirit of a disaffected area of disappearing wood workshops, where young designers like themselves are setting up in empty storefronts. The area now teems with nightlife and street art after dark.<br /> </p>
<p>Zuckerman said that when the graffiti artists signed their work, the designers contacted them to ask permission to sell the work and offered 15 percent of the profits. He said that since word has gotten out, the graffiti experiment is now “more of a collaboration.”&nbsp;They are now planning to produce a series of limited-edition tables that will incorporate different paintings into the same furniture design, inspired by the street art.</p>
<p>So what do the artists think about seeing their paintings carved up and deconstructed into furniture?&nbsp;“The artists usually love it because the result is surprising and new to them,” Zuckerman said, adding that the furniture brought a new and third dimension to their two-dimensional work. &nbsp;</p>Thu, 11 Sep 2014 14:55:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/11/ariel_zuckerman_and_eran_shimshovitz_turn_tel_aviv_street_art_into_one_of.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-09-11T14:55:00ZLifeDesigners Turn Tel Aviv Street Art Into One-of-a-Kind Furniture242140911001designKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/11/ariel_zuckerman_and_eran_shimshovitz_turn_tel_aviv_street_art_into_one_of.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Yoav GurinThe first in Ariel Zuckerman and Eran Shimshovitz’s series of Street Capture furniture is this “Zerifin 35” console, named after the street where the graffiti art was made.These Minimalist Cocktail Posters Are Giant Flashcards for Aspiring Bartendershttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/10/nick_barclay_minimalist_cocktail_posters_show_the_art_of_the_mixed_drink.html
<p>Sydney-based British designer <a href="http://www.nickbarclaydesigns.com/">Nick Barclay</a> has created a clever set of minimalist posters of classic cocktails that are beautiful pieces of wall art that also function as cheat sheets for aspiring mixologists.</p>
<p>“There is a big bar/cocktail scene in Sydney, so I was introduced to the Negroni when I moved here six years ago, and that really sparked my interest in cocktails,” Barclay told me in an email.</p>
<p>The idea to translate that interest in mixed drinks into a series of posters came from “thinking about something that could be broken down and still look artistic while being informative,” he said. “Cocktails seemed to fit the bill because of the ingredients, the colors, and the glassware. Everyone loves cocktails, but they don't necessarily know what goes into them, so I thought these would be a great way of having the best of both worlds.”</p>
<p>Barclay said he asked a friend who owns <a href="http://australianbartender.com.au/"><em>Australian Bartender</em></a> magazine to pick 10 classic cocktails for the series, then studied the ingredients of each one and worked from photos of the cocktails. “I stylize the glass and use the blocks of color to represent the color of the cocktail and the proportion of the ingredients in it,” Barclay said.</p>
<p>The series is available for purchase <a href="http://www.nickbarclaydesigns.com/shop/">here</a>.</p>Wed, 10 Sep 2014 14:40:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/10/nick_barclay_minimalist_cocktail_posters_show_the_art_of_the_mixed_drink.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-09-10T14:40:00ZLifeThese Minimalist Cocktail Posters Are Giant Flashcards for Aspiring Bartenders242140910001designcocktailsdrinkKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/10/nick_barclay_minimalist_cocktail_posters_show_the_art_of_the_mixed_drink.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Nick BarclayWater Awareness Project Wraps NYC Water Tanks With Temporary Arthttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/09/nyc_water_tank_project_by_mary_jordan_raises_awareness_of_water_scarcity.html
<p>Water tanks are one of the most identifiable landmarks in the New York City skyline. When artist, filmmaker, and activist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Jordan_%28filmmaker%29">Mary Jordan</a> returned from Ethiopia in 2007, she saw the tanks not just as symbols of the city but as monuments to the abundant access to clean water that Americans take for granted.</p>
<p>Jordan had fallen ill and been nursed back to health during her travels. The women who cared for her asked her to repay them with a promise: to raise awareness about water scarcity and contamination in a world where 1 billion people <a href="http://water.org/water-crisis/one-billion-affected/">still do not have access to clean water</a>.</p>
<p>She founded the nonprofit Word Above the Street, whose mission is to foster environmental awareness, education, and social advocacy through large-scale public art projects. And she decided to turn those symbolic water tanks into billboards for the cause.</p>
<p>Brining that vision to life has taken several years, but at the end of August, her long-planned <a href="http://www.thewatertankproject.org/">Water Tank Project</a> finally launched. Several tanks in downtown Manhattan are currently wrapped in works of temporary art by <a href="http://www.lauriesimmons.net/">Laurie Simmons</a> (Lena Dunham’s mother), <a href="http://www.odilidonaldodita.com/">Odili Donald Odita</a>, <a href="http://www.sigridcalon.nl/">Sigrid Calon</a>, <a href="http://www.lorenzopetrantoni.com/">Lorenzo Petrantoni</a>, <a href="http://www.tessatraeger.com/">Tessa Traeger</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.jordifornies.net/">Jordi Forni&eacute;s</a>.</p>
<p>The artwork was installed by <a href="http://www.isseks.com/">Isseks Brothers</a>, one of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/nyregion/for-3-families-wooden-water-tanks-are-in-the-blood.html?_r=0">a handful of family-run, generations-old businesses</a> that constructs and maintains the city’s water tanks.</p>
<p>“I am so grateful that, with the help of so many people, I am able to say that I have fulfilled the promise I made seven years ago to the tribe in Africa that saved my life,” said Jordan in a press release. “We are creating symbols of water abundance and raising awareness about our global water issue, one tank at a time.” &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>The artworks will stay up through the end of October. A <a href="http://www.thewatertankproject.org/#map">map on the project website</a> includes locations of tanks as they are wrapped.</p>
<p><em><strong>Correction, Sept. 11, 2014: </strong>The fourth photo’s caption originally misidentified the water tank’s artist and location. It is by Jordi Forni&eacute;s, not Tessa Traeger, and it is located at&nbsp;123 E. 15th St., not&nbsp;110 Fulton St.</em></p>Tue, 09 Sep 2014 15:13:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/09/nyc_water_tank_project_by_mary_jordan_raises_awareness_of_water_scarcity.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-09-09T15:13:00ZLifeNYC Water Tank Project Transforms the City’s Iconic Landmarks Into a Public Art Show242140909001designwaterKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/09/nyc_water_tank_project_by_mary_jordan_raises_awareness_of_water_scarcity.htmlfalsefalsefalseCopyright Elizabeth Christopher Art. Courtesy of the Water Tank Project.A work of art by Lorenzo Petrantoni wraps a water tank at 393 West Broadway in SoHo in New York City. &nbsp;Watch the Amish Raise a Barn in Less Than 10 Hourshttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/08/watch_an_ohio_amish_community_raise_a_barn_in_less_than_10_hours_video.html
<p>In 18<sup>th</sup>- and 19<sup>th</sup>-century rural North America, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barn_raising">barn-raising </a>was a thing. But these days the Amish are among the last communities to carry on this mostly forgotten tradition in which neighbors volunteered their time and labor to helping one another build barns.</p>
<p>Modern construction is generally held hostage by the whims, bloated budgets, and protracted time frames of the construction industry. Perhaps that's one reason why this 3&frac12;-minute time-lapse video shot by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsTB0HnM6WM#t=35">Scott Miller</a> of an Ohio barn being raised by a community of industrious Amish in less than 10 hours is such a thrilling visual testament to the power of teamwork.</p>
<p>Via <em><a href="http://sploid.gizmodo.com/watch-the-amish-build-an-entire-barn-in-less-than-10-ho-1630848773">Sploid</a>.</em></p>Mon, 08 Sep 2014 13:04:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/08/watch_an_ohio_amish_community_raise_a_barn_in_less_than_10_hours_video.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-09-08T13:04:00ZLifeWatch the Amish Build a Barn in Less Than 10 Hours242140908001designvideoamishKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/08/watch_an_ohio_amish_community_raise_a_barn_in_less_than_10_hours_video.htmlfalsefalsefalseScreenshot courtesy of Penny and Scott Miller/YouTubeAn Amish community in Ohio raised a barn in less than 10 hours last spring in a volunteer building practice that was common in the 18th and 19th centuries. &nbsp;Most of Ikea’s Product Images Are Computer-Generatedhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/05/ikea_catalog_images_75_percent_are_computer_generated.html
<p>Ever wonder why the Ikea products&nbsp;look so good compared with your apartment filled with Ikea furniture?&nbsp;A recent article in <a href="http://www.cgsociety.org/index.php/CGSFeatures/CGSFeatureSpecial/building_3d_with_ikea"><em>CGSociety</em></a> revealed that 75 percent of Ikea’s product images are not photographs of the famously inexpensive and hard-to-assemble furniture but are computer-generated.*</p>
<p>In the article, Martin Enthed, the IT manager for Ikea’s in-house communication agency (which also happens to be responsible for the notoriously head-exploding hieroglyphics known as Ikea assembly instructions), explains that the company began discussing how to abandon traditional photography for a computer-generated approach a decade ago. The initial goal wasn’t to improve image quality, he said, but to streamline the logistics of producing images and to save money normally spent building and shipping prototype furniture around the world to be photographed.</p>
<p>Ikea produced its first computer-generated furniture image of the <a href="http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/20087747/">Bertil</a> chair in 2006. In 2010, Ikea created an entire room using computer-generated imagery. By 2012, 12 percent of its catalog and online images were computer-generated, according to the <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10000872396390444508504577595414031195148"><em>Wall Street Journal</em></a>.&nbsp;But by the time Ikea decided to shift from traditional photography to computer-generated images, Enthed explained, its catalog and website already had <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2014/09/04/ikea_s_2015_catalog_launch_spoofs_apple_ipad_ads.html">a signature look</a>, and the company was keen to make sure that its customers wouldn’t notice a difference. The company’s 3-D artists were required to learn about photography, and the photographers had to learn how to create 3-D images. Ikea now has a bank of 25,000 high-resolution models sharp enough to capture the texture in a sofa.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Check out <a href="http://www.cgsociety.org/index.php/CGSFeatures/CGSFeatureSpecial/building_3d_with_ikea"><em>CGSociety</em></a>'s article for more on how Ikea creates its images.</p>
<p><em><strong>*Correction, Sept. 5, 2014: </strong>This post originally stated that 75 percent of Ikea catalog images are computer-generated. Three-fourths of Ikea’s single product shots are computer-generated; most of the catalog images are photographed the traditional way in the Ikea Communications studio in &Auml;lmhult, Sweden.</em></p>Fri, 05 Sep 2014 15:27:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/05/ikea_catalog_images_75_percent_are_computer_generated.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-09-05T15:27:00ZLifeHere’s Why Your Ikea Kitchen Doesn’t Look as Good as the One in the Catalog242140905001technologyikeaKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/05/ikea_catalog_images_75_percent_are_computer_generated.htmlfalsefalsefalseScreencap of IKEA catalogThe Ikea catalog is a mix of traditional photography and computer-generated images.This House’s Rooms Rotate With the Touch of a Buttonhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/04/sharifi_ha_house_by_next_office_in_tehran_has_rotating_rooms_that_can_be.html
<p>The delightful, surprising design of the Sharifi-ha House by Tehran-based architecture firm <a href="http://www.nextoffice.ir/">Next Office</a> centers around its rotating box-shaped rooms on three floors. The motorized rooms can each be turned 90 degrees to make them outward- or inward-facing according to the weather. The angles at which the boxes are pivoted change the disposition of the rooms and the appearance of the house's narrow facade.<br /> </p>
<p>“Uncertainty and flexibility lie at the heart of this project’s design concept,” the designers wrote in an email, adding that the flexible design allowed for a house that was by turns “introverted or extroverted.”</p>
<p>The design for the home in Tehran, which was completed in 2013, is a modern interpretation of old Iranian mansions that had both summer and winter living rooms.</p>
<p>“In summertime, Sharifi-ha House offers an open/transparent/perforated volume with wide, large terraces,” they write. “In contrast, during Tehran’s cold, snowy winters the volume closes down, offering minimal openings and a total absence of those wide summer terraces.”</p>
<p>To ensure that light passes through the building when the rooms are inward-facing, the building is designed around a central void that allows light to pass through the home's seven floors.</p>
<p>“When the turning boxes are closed, the building captures sunlight throughout the space of the central void, which also connects the two fixed volumes by suspended bridges,” the architects wrote.</p>
<p>The three rotating rooms were created as a breakfast room on the first floor, a guest room on the second floor, and a home office on the third floor, but the designers said that the rooms can be adapted to the residents' needs. &nbsp;</p>
<p>So how did they engineer those rooms to turn? The applied manufacturing technique for the turning mechanism, the designers said, is the same method used in turning theater sets and car show floor exhibitions.</p>Thu, 04 Sep 2014 15:56:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/04/sharifi_ha_house_by_next_office_in_tehran_has_rotating_rooms_that_can_be.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-09-04T15:56:00ZLifeThis House’s Rooms Rotate With the Touch of a Button242140904001designarchitectureunusual architectureKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/04/sharifi_ha_house_by_next_office_in_tehran_has_rotating_rooms_that_can_be.htmlfalsefalsefalsePhoto by Parham Taghioff. Courtesy of Next Office.The Sharifi-ha House by Tehran architecture studio Next Office has three rooms that pivot up to 90 degrees.Angelina Jolie Used Her Versace Wedding Dress as a Canvas for Her Kids’ Artworkhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/02/angelina_jolie_wedding_dress_was_designed_by_donatella_versace_and_brangelina.html
<p>Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie tied the knot last month, and exclusive photos of the Aug. 23 wedding at their Ch&acirc;teau Miraval in France are being featured on the covers of <a href="http://www.people.com/article/angelina-jolie-brad-pitt-wedding-photos"><em>People</em></a> and <a href="http://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/2014090220746/brad-pitt-angelina-jolie-wedding-pictures-exclusive/"><em>Hello</em></a> magazines. They show Jolie in a seemingly traditional, minimalistic white silk-satin wedding dress designed by Donatella Versace and made by Atelier Versace's master tailor Luigi Massi.</p>
<p>But a closer look reveals what appears to be Jolie’s personal touch: dozens of multicolored embroidered appliqu&eacute;s based on drawings from the half-dozen Jolie-Pitt kids that Massi sewed on the veil and the train.</p>
<p>&quot;Luigi is like family to me and I couldn't imagine anyone else making this dress,&quot; Jolie told <em>People</em>. &quot;He knows and cares for the children and it was great fun putting it together.&quot;</p>
<p>I emailed the Versace Atelier press office to ask for further comment on the design and got an unenlightening two-paragraph press release that called the dress &quot;a one of a kind custom-made Atelier Versace look.&quot; The email nevertheless included this Donatella Versace sketch for the dress that appears to include doodles on the fabric, though it's unclear whose idea it was to turn the exclusive designer gown into a blank canvas for the Jolie-Pitt children's artwork. When I emailed the press office to ask for more information, a representative told me: &quot;Unfortunately we don't have more details regarding the children's drawings apart from what is told in the news.&quot;<br /> </p>
<p>The groom just wore a suit.</p>Tue, 02 Sep 2014 14:56:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/02/angelina_jolie_wedding_dress_was_designed_by_donatella_versace_and_brangelina.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-09-02T14:56:00ZLifeAngelina Jolie Used Her Versace Wedding Dress as a Canvas for Her Kids’ Artwork242140902001designangelina jolie weddingweddingsfashionKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/09/02/angelina_jolie_wedding_dress_was_designed_by_donatella_versace_and_brangelina.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of PeopleAngelina Jolie's Atelier Versace–designed wedding dress included multicolored appliqu&eacute;s on the veil and train based on her kids' artwork. &nbsp;Britain Shames Its Ugliest New Buildings With an Annual Prizehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/29/carbuncle_cup_2014_shortlist_for_britain_s_worst_building_design.html
<p>Americans invented the <a href="http://www.razzies.com/">Razzies</a> to call out bad acting as a counterpoint to the Oscars. But while bad movie performances might linger in the subconscious, bad buildings scar the landscapes of our everyday lives. Which is why the Brits have the <a href="http://www.bdonline.co.uk/buildings/carbuncle-cup/carbuncle-cup-2014-shortlist-announced/5070550.article">Carbuncle Cup</a>, in which the public nominates candidates for Britain’s ugliest new building of the year, as a counterpoint to the Royal Institute of British Architects’ <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_Prize">Stirling Prize</a> for architectural excellence.</p>
<p>Sponsored by British architecture magazine <a href="http://www.bdonline.co.uk"><em>Building Design</em></a>, the Carbuncle Cup has been given out annually since 2006, inspired by similar honors bestowed by <a href="http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/opinions/scottish-independence-letters-to-prospect"><em>Prospect</em></a> magazine in Scotland. The name is said to have come from a 1984 quote by Prince Charles, who called Richard Rogers’ proposed extension of London’s National Gallery a “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbuncle_Cup">monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved and elegant friend</a>.”</p>
<p>The shortlist for this year’s <a href="http://www.bdonline.co.uk/">Carbuncle Cup</a> was announced this week, with <em>Building Design</em> editor Thomas Lane calling the awards “architecture’s most dubious accolade,” and “architecture’s ultimate name and shame competition” in an announcement.</p>
<p>“Good architecture should provide decent places for people to live and work, enhance our towns and cities, be enduring and ultimately uplift the spirit of everyone who interacts with those buildings,” Lane wrote. “The sad reality is that far too much new development falls short of these basic tenets of good design. Significant amounts of time and money is spent on new development and good design should be a given, not an afterthought. The result is great swathes of Britain’s towns and cities are mediocre, uninspiring with no real identity.”</p>
<p>The shortlist of architectural mediocrity was culled from 13 buildings nominated by the public by a panel consisting of Lane, architectural correspondent Ike Ijeh, <em>Building Design</em> columnist and adviser to the<a href="https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/"> Prince's Trust</a> Hank Dittmar, and architect and former RIBA President Owen Luder. “Reader comments on each nomination were also considered during the selection process,” Lane noted.</p>
<p>Nominees include the <a href="http://www.e-architect.co.uk/london/vauxhall-tower-london">Vauxhall Tower by Broadway Malyan</a> (above), a 50-story building on St. George Wharf development on the southern end of London’s Vauxhall Bridge. Lane wrote that Berkeley Group chief executive Tony Pidgley “described the nomination as ‘sad’ and conceded the scheme ‘could have been better,’ ” adding “that the firm was prepared to live and learn from its mistakes.”</p>
<p>Lane noted that the <a href="http://www.bdp.com/en/Projects/By-Name/P-Z/Unite-Stratford-City/">Unite Stratford City by BDP</a> in East London (top) “drew unanimous condemnation” from the magazine’s readership. “Typical comments included, ‘if I was a dictator I would be very proud of this building, ‘utterly grotesque,’ ‘complete failure of the design process’ and ‘I say we take off and nuke it from orbit,’ ” Lane wrote.</p>
<p>The most nominated building was <a href="http://www.3dreid.com/content/505/view">Trinity Square by 3D Reid</a> (above), which replaced a Brutalist parking garage memorably featured in the 1971 film <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000KK0AKK/?tag=slatmaga-20"><em>Get Carter</em></a>. Lane noted that Carbuncle Cup judge Luder—also the architect of the demolished car park—commented: “The first principle of demolition should be to put up something that was better than was there before. Whatever you thought of the car park, this project is much worse.”</p>
<p>See the rest of the nominees on <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=3&amp;ved=0CD4QqQIwAg&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bdonline.co.uk%2Fbuildings%2Fcarbuncle-cup%2Fcarbuncle-cup-2014-shortlist-announced%2F5070550.article&amp;ei=6KkAVPbAM8HNggT14YDoAw&amp;usg=AFQjCNF7qEhSnB9OQ5wbCVUA1no4VMjY5A&amp;sig2=RYZ9x5TXj-PVulay9TFwjg&amp;bvm=bv.74115972,d.eXY"><em>Building Design</em></a>. The winner will be announced next week.<br /> </p>Fri, 29 Aug 2014 17:00:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/29/carbuncle_cup_2014_shortlist_for_britain_s_worst_building_design.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-08-29T17:00:00ZLifeBritain Shames Its Ugliest New Buildings With an Annual Prize242140829001designarchitectureKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/29/carbuncle_cup_2014_shortlist_for_britain_s_worst_building_design.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of George Rex/FlickrUnite Stratford City by BDP in East London is on the shortlist for the Carbuncle Cup, Britain's ugliest building prize.The Iconic Moleskine Notebook Goes Digitalhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/28/livescribe_notebooks_by_moleskine_marry_analog_and_digital_technology_for.html
<p>The <a href="http://www.moleskine.com">Moleskine</a> notebook remains an enduring symbol of the sacred act of taking pen to paper to empty the contents of your brain or heart in words or sketches. Versions of the notebook were famously carried by Picasso, Hemingway, van Gogh, and Matisse before the final French supplier ceased production in the 1980s and was resurrected by a Milanese company in the late 1990s. Today Moleskine has both the storied history and the hipster cachet that make it the world's most coveted brand of notebook.</p>
<p>This week Moleskine announced a partnership with <a href="http://store.livescribe.com/moleskine_notebook">Livescribe</a>, the Oakland-based makers of <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2013/11/livescribe_3_smartpen_review_this_high_tech_stylus_could_save_handwriting.html">digital smartpens</a>, to create a notebook that looks like a regular Moleskine—complete with ivory-colored paper, rounded corners, and a ribbon bookmark—but whose acid-free paper is embedded with a dot pattern that transfers handwritten notes to your digital device when used with a Livescribe smartpen. Instructions for using the digital technology are tucked in the customary notebook pocket, leaving the pages looking relatively blank. Livescribe is selling this innovation as “the perfect bridge between the analog and digital” while Moleskine claims that the “new notebooks combine [the] intuitive feel of pen and paper with the latest digital technology.”</p>
<p>So while taking notes or doodling in your digitally enhanced Moleskine might conjure a familiar feel, the pen allows you to capture audio, and the pages allow you to tag and save information by tapping on the appropriate icons, sending your thoughts to your computer or mobile device via Bluetooth in real time.</p>
<p>For now <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AALJ2M/?tag=slatmaga-20">the notebooks</a> are available in a limited edition and cost about $30 (with compatible <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FG38L16/?tag=slatmaga-20">Livescribe 3 smartpens</a> starting at about $150). The technology here isn't new, but if those who might not have been tempted to make the leap into digital notetaking are seduced by the marriage of Livescribe's technology and old-school Moleskine allure, then the Livescribe-Moleskine partnership might help preserve and keep vital our fondness for scribbling things down in a notebook, one of the last bastions of nondigital life.</p>Thu, 28 Aug 2014 16:28:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/28/livescribe_notebooks_by_moleskine_marry_analog_and_digital_technology_for.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-08-28T16:28:00ZLifeThe Iconic Moleskine Notebook Goes Digital242140828001designKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/28/livescribe_notebooks_by_moleskine_marry_analog_and_digital_technology_for.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Moleskine The Livescribe notebook by Moleskine transfers your pen-and-ink scribbles to your digital device in real time.The Race to Take the World’s Most Dangerous Selfiehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/26/daniel_lau_andrew_tsom_and_a_s_attempt_to_take_the_world_s_most_dangerous.html
<p>The famous photograph <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunch_atop_a_Skyscraper">Lunch Atop a Skyscraper</a></em> of 11 steelworkers blithely suspended on a crossbeam in the air above Manhattan while constructing the RCA Building in Rockefeller Center in 1932, remained a complete mystery for decades. Nobody knew who the photographer or the workers were or if the photo had been doctored until the mystery was <a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/lunch-atop-a-skyscraper-photograph-the-story-behind-the-famous-shot-43931148/?no-ist">partially unraveled in 2012</a>, when two of the men in the photo were identified and the photograph was deemed to be real. &nbsp;</p>
<p>In recent years, the phenomenon known as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rooftopping">rooftopping</a>, pioneered by <a href="http://www.tomryaboi.com/rooftopping">Tom Ryaboi</a>, has gained mainstream traction. In rooftopping, daredevil photographers scale dizzying heights to capture unprecedented views of urban landscapes. Even though part of the thrill of those images is knowing that a human engaged in risky behavior to capture them, the photos seem to be more about the subject matter than the photographer.</p>
<p>But in the age of the insipid selfie, even photographers often supersede their own subjects, as a <a href="http://www.metro.us/newyork/news/local/2014/08/25/brooklyn-bridge-surrenders-passport/">recent slew of extreme selfies</a> around the world can attest. This week’s extreme selfie publicity stunt involves photographers <a href="http://www.enjoygram.com/daniel__lau">Daniel Lau</a>, Andrew Tso, and A.S., who climbed to the top of an 1,135-foot-tall Hong Kong skyscraper to take a short video that shows them eating bananas before panning out to reveal them using a selfie stick to shoot a vertigo-inducing money shot of their attention-seeking stupidity.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2014/08/narcissistic_personality_disorder_is_narcissism_a_personality_trait_or_mental.html">Narcissus</a> is said to have drowned from staring too long at his own beloved reflection. Isn't it only a matter of time before the treacherous race for the world's most dangerous selfie ends in tragedy?</p>
<p>Check out the video below to see the stunt in action:</p>Tue, 26 Aug 2014 15:12:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/26/daniel_lau_andrew_tsom_and_a_s_attempt_to_take_the_world_s_most_dangerous.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-08-26T15:12:00ZLifeIs This the World’s Most Dangerous Selfie?242140826001selfiesselfieKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/26/daniel_lau_andrew_tsom_and_a_s_attempt_to_take_the_world_s_most_dangerous.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Daniel Lau/YouTubeDaniel Lau's selfie atop a Hong Kong skyscraper.This Champagne Coupe Is Modeled on Kate Moss’ Left Breasthttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/25/champagne_coupe_modeled_on_kate_moss_breast_for_london_s_34_restaurant.html
<p>Legend has it that the original model for the Champagne coupe was Marie Antoinette’s left breast. Historians claim that colorful myth—which has also been attributed to French aristocrats including Madame de Pompadour and Napoleon’s Jos&eacute;phine—is <a href="http://www.snopes.com/business/origins/champagne.asp">false</a>, the coupe having been invented in England for sparkling wine in 1663, nearly a century before Marie Antoinette’s birth in 1755.</p>
<p>The association of drinking vessels and and women’s breasts is even traced as far back as Helen of Troy, whose bust was said to be used to make wax molds for eventual cups. And in more recent times, the uniformly pert breasts of cabaret dancers from Paris’ <a href="http://www.foliesbergere.com/">Folies Berg&egrave;re</a> were subject to a Champagne glass test before hiring to ensure that their God-given cups floweth not over.</p>
<p>In the spirit of those clearly male fantasy-fueled legends, <a href="http://www.dezeen.com/2014/08/22/kate-moss-left-breast-champagne-coupe-34-restaurant/"><em>Dezeen</em></a> reports that London's<a href="http://www.34-restaurant.co.uk/"> 34 restaurant</a>, where Kate Moss celebrated her 40<sup>th</sup> birthday, has commissioned Champagne coupes designed by British artist<a href="http://www.janemcadamfreud.com/"> Jane McAdam Freud</a> (<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/jan/18/jane-mcadam-freud-lucian-sculpture">the daughter of Lucian Freud</a>) that are molded on the model’s left breast. Moss has never been shy about posing nude, and this isn't the first time that her body has been <a href="http://www.marcquinn.com/work/view/tag/kate/">immortalized by an artist</a>.</p>
<p>“The 34 Kate Moss Coupe features an elongated slender stem and a bowl decorated with an Art Deco-influenced geometric pattern,” <em>Dezeen</em> writes, noting that Moss’ signature (but not the artist’s) is engraved on the coupe base.</p>
<p>They add that the glass will be used to serve Champagne at 34 and its sister establishments The Ivy, Daphne’s, Scott’s, and The Club at The Ivy starting Oct. 9.</p>Mon, 25 Aug 2014 15:37:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/25/champagne_coupe_modeled_on_kate_moss_breast_for_london_s_34_restaurant.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-08-25T15:37:00ZLifeThis Champagne Coupe Is Modeled on Kate Moss’ Left Breast242140825001designKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/25/champagne_coupe_modeled_on_kate_moss_breast_for_london_s_34_restaurant.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of 34The 34 Kate Moss Coupe was designed by British artist Jane McAdam Freud, daughter of Lucian Freud.The Differences Between Men and Women, Told in Pictogramshttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/22/man_meets_woman_by_yang_liu_uses_pictograms_to_explore_the_differences_between.html
<p>Designer Yang Liu’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/3836553988/?tag=slatmaga-20"><em>Man Meets Woman</em></a> is a visual exploration of the age-old, constantly evolving interplay between the sexes. A pictogram-based shorthand answer to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0060574216/?tag=slatmaga-20"><em>Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus</em></a> for the 21<sup>st</sup> century, the book will be released in October by <a href="http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/design/all/04622/facts.man_meets_woman.htm">Taschen</a>. It’s the award-winning 38-year-old Berlin-based Chinese author’s second book, after <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/3874397335/?tag=slatmaga-20ang-Liu/dp/3874397335/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=undefined&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=East+meets+West+yang+liu"><em>East Meets West</em></a>, about Liu’s bicultural experiences.</p>
<p>“We are living in an age of constant social change, in which the subject of the sexes, in particular, is rapidly evolving in people’s consciousness,” Liu writes. “Each new generation re-assesses and questions the role models currently in place. ... It is interesting to see how Man/Woman clich&eacute;s have indeed changed in our daily lives and to what extent the attributes that were assigned to the sexes in the past, often centuries ago, are still relevant in today’s society. And to consider which desirable role models are already rooted in our thinking but are still in the process of transformation.”</p>
<p>The side-by-side male-and-female pictograms cover the discrepancies between how men and women generally see themselves, are viewed by others, communicate, work, love, fantasize, behave, and more. The simple, accessible, and stark visual format is necessarily reductive, designed as a thought-provoking tool to spark conversations and elicit a range of emotional responses.</p>
<p>“I myself have experienced, directly and indirectly, many communication problems between the two sexes, both in my private life and in my professional career,” Liu writes. “As a working wife and mother, I am compelled to realize time and time again how many minor and major differences exist between men and women, despite today’s ongoing debate on the subject and the constant redefinition of male and female roles.”</p>
<p>Liu says that many of these differences “arise out of traditional gender models and are dictated by social and professional structures.” The book, she is careful to note, is “a visual documentary of my personal views on the subject of communication between men and women. I thereby hope to be able to encourage all of us to approach this subject with a little more humor and, in our daily interactions, to look at and think about things from the viewpoint of the opposite sex.”<br /> </p>Fri, 22 Aug 2014 13:02:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/22/man_meets_woman_by_yang_liu_uses_pictograms_to_explore_the_differences_between.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-08-22T13:02:00ZLifeAre These Pictograms of the Differences Between Men and Women Brilliant or Clich&eacute;?242140822001designgraphic designKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/22/man_meets_woman_by_yang_liu_uses_pictograms_to_explore_the_differences_between.htmlfalsefalsefalseCopyright Yang Liu Design/TaschenDo men (left) and women (right) have different preferences when it comes to the balance of love and sex?Denmark’s New Lego Building, Modeled on Its Iconic Bricks, Captures the Beloved Toy’s Whimsyhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/21/lego_house_in_billund_denmark_begins_construction_by_laying_giant_lego_brick.html
<p>This week the first six oversize Lego bricks were laid for the foundation of the <a href="http://aboutus.lego.com/en-us/lego-group/lego-house">Lego House</a> in Billund, Denmark, the Lego Group’s hometown. Designed by <a href="http://www.big.dk">BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group</a>, the architecture of the Lego House is based on—what else but?—the iconic shape of the Lego brick.</p>
<p>Unlike metaphorical <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4BLVznuWnU">Lego houses dreamed up by pop stars</a> or the rather cheesy amusement park aesthetic of <a href="http://www.legoland.com/">Legoland</a>, the architects’ renderings for the Lego House promise a sophisticated, streamlined modern building that elevates the possibilities of Lego design.</p>
<p>“For me the LEGO brick embodies the notion of systematic creativity—that the rigor and rationality of the LEGO brick allows children of all ages infinite possibilities to create their own worlds and to inhabit them through play,” BIG founder Bjarke Ingels said in a press statement. “We have been inspired by the modularity of the LEGO brick to create the LEGO House. It will appear like a cloud of interlocking LEGO bricks that form spaces for exploration and exhibition for its visitors within. On the outside the pile of bricks form the roof of a new covered square as well as a mountain of interconnected terraces and playgrounds.”</p>
<p>The building is scheduled to open in 2016. It promises “vast experience areas,” a caf&eacute;, a Lego store, and several roof terraces. It hopes to become a destination for an annual 250,000 visitors.</p>
<p>Check out this animated video of the architects' vision for a virtual tour:<br /> </p>Thu, 21 Aug 2014 13:03:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/21/lego_house_in_billund_denmark_begins_construction_by_laying_giant_lego_brick.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-08-21T13:03:00ZLifeDenmark’s New Lego Building, Modeled on Its Iconic Bricks, Captures the Beloved Toy’s Whimsy242140821001legodesignKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/21/lego_house_in_billund_denmark_begins_construction_by_laying_giant_lego_brick.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of the Lego GroupThe Lego House, scheduled to open in 2016, will be made from what the architect describes as a “cloud of interlocking Lego bricks.”The Curious, Formative Drawings of Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, and Other Renowned Architectshttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/19/frank_gehry_zaha_hadid_daniel_libeskind_formative_architectural_drawings.html
<p>The art of making beautiful <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/02/07/_100_years_of_architectural_drawing_by_neal_bingham_chronicles_a_lost_art.html">architectural drawings by hand</a> is a fading practice as new generations of architects shift to digital tools. Just as news emerged that <a href="http://www.dezeen.com/2014/08/18/frank-gehry-office-rouse-company-reopen-whole-foods-supermarket/">an early Frank Gehry building is being turned into a Whole Foods</a> supermarket, curators at the<a href="http://www.kemperartmuseum.wustl.edu/"> Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum</a> at Washington University in St. Louis are setting up an exhibition that offers a rare glimpse of early formative drawings and other handmade visuals from Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Daniel Libeskind, Rem Koolhaas, and other distinguished architects.</p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.kemperartmuseum.wustl.edu/exhibitions/9926">Drawing Ambience: Alvin Boyarsky and the Architectural Association</a></em> features drawings from the private collection of the late Alvin Boyarsky, longtime chairman of London’s <a href="http://www.aaschool.ac.uk/">Architectural Association</a>, the U.K.’s oldest independent design school.</p>
<p>The show opens Sept. 12 and runs through Jan. 4 before traveling to the <a href="http://risdmuseum.org/">Rhode Island School of Design Museum</a> next spring.</p>
<p>Boyarsky was the influential head of the Architectural Association from 1971 until his death in 1990. “Boyarsky encouraged young architects to embrace the emerging global culture and probe contemporary issues while defining their own visual and spatial languages,” the curators write in a press release. “Central to this approach was Boyarsky’s conception of drawing, which he saw not only as a representational medium, but also a form of architectural inquiry unto itself.”</p>
<p>The show will include site plans, design proposals, unbuilt works, and investigative works on paper that the curators say reflect “the collapse of a singular canon of modern architecture and the blossoming of new and varied approaches that are often grouped under the diverse and varied phrase ‘postmodern architecture.’ ”</p>
<p>The&nbsp;Architectural Association of the 1970s and ’80s “is often considered one of the last great centers of hand drawing to flourish before the rise of computer-aided modeling and draftsmanship,” they write. “Boyarsky’s collection of architectural drawings, culled from the work of students and practitioners who passed through the school, constitutes a visual record of an important transitional moment. At the same time, its emphasis on the tactile and exploratory foreshadows the renewed interest, in our own digital age, in links between the hand and the imagination.”</p>Tue, 19 Aug 2014 15:06:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/19/frank_gehry_zaha_hadid_daniel_libeskind_formative_architectural_drawings.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-08-19T15:06:00ZLifeThe Curious, Formative Drawings of Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, and Other Renowned Architects242140819001architecturedesignKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/19/frank_gehry_zaha_hadid_daniel_libeskind_formative_architectural_drawings.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Frank Gehry/Alvin Boyarsky ArchiveFrank Gehry's pen-and-ink sketch for the Goldwyn-Hollywood Library, 1983.An Astonishing Portrait of Lauren Bacall at Age 88http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/13/lauren_bacall_an_astonishing_portrait_of_the_actress_as_an_old_woman_by.html
<p>With the <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/obit/2014/08/lauren_bacall_obituary_five_films_that_encapsulate_her_career_video.html">death of Lauren Bacall at age 89</a> have come the inevitable tributes to her youthful <a href="http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/08/lauren-bacall-knew-a-thing-or-two-about-style.html">beauty</a> and enduring <a href="http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/08/lauren-bacall-knew-a-thing-or-two-about-style.html">style</a>. She was known for her trademark smoky voice, sultry gaze, and cool poise. And then there was the seemingly effortless sartorial glamour: plunging necklines that looked just right on her slim figure, her embrace of high-waisted trousers and Yves Saint Laurent’s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Smoking">Le Smoking</a> tuxedo suit that ushered in generations of women wearing pants.</p>
<p>So often in our collective mourning for the loss of an icon, we grieve for who she was long ago, when we first fell in love with her. Looking at <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/photography/2014/08/photos_of_lauren_bacall_the_sultry_star_of_the_hollywood_s_golden_age.html">photos of Bacall in her prime</a> is a sweet exercise in nostalgia. But this remarkable portrait taken last year by British celebrity photographer <a href="http://www.andygotts.com">Andy Gotts</a> captures the woman that Bacall became toward the end of her life, which is equally worth celebrating.</p>
<p>Gotts shot the photo for a project called <em>Behind the Mask</em>, in which he traveled the world to photograph every person who won or was nominated for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award for acting since 1954.* The photographs were displayed at London’s <a href="http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/visual-arts/behind-the-mask">Somerset House</a> earlier this year.</p>
<p>We all become caricatures of ourselves as we age, our features more pronounced and exaggerated, but some Hollywood actresses become grotesque <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=plastiche">plastiches</a> of their former selves. Bacall copped to having had a handful of Botox injections, but her face is a testimony to <a href="http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/books/lauren-bacall-1-1389364">her feelings about plastic surgery</a>. At age 88 in the portrait above, she looks exactly like herself. The screen legend and fashion icon as mere mortal, with us right up until the very end.</p>
<p><strong><em><a href="http://www.slate.com/content/slate/topics/l/lauren_bacall.html">Read more on Lauren Bacall</a>.</em></strong></p>
<p><em><strong>*Correction, Aug. 13, 2014:</strong> This post originally misstated that Andy Gotts’ project</em> Behind the Mask<em> only photographed the actors who won BAFTA awards. He photographed nominees as well. It also misstated that BAFTAs were first awarded in 1954. They began before then, but Gotts only photographed nominees and winners after 1954.</em></p>Wed, 13 Aug 2014 14:26:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/13/lauren_bacall_an_astonishing_portrait_of_the_actress_as_an_old_woman_by.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-08-13T14:26:00ZLifeAn Astonishing Portrait of Lauren Bacall at Age 88242140813002lauren bacallKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/13/lauren_bacall_an_astonishing_portrait_of_the_actress_as_an_old_woman_by.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Andy GottsLauren Bacall at home in New York City in 2013.Hemingway Had a Thing for Six-Toed Catshttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/13/the_ernest_hemingway_home_and_museum_houses_dozens_of_six_toed_cats_in_key.html
<p>Photographer <a href="http://henryhargreaves.com/">Henry Hargreaves</a> has brought us <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/03/17/fun_and_beautiful_maps_of_the_world_made_from_signature_regional_foods_by.html">food-based country maps</a> and <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/07/03/photographer_henry_hargreaves_coffee_cups_of_the_world_highlights_the_best.html">the world's best disposable coffee cup designs</a>. His most recent project is a series of photographs of some of the dozens of <a href="http://www.hemingwayhome.com/cats/">six-toed cats</a> that live at the <a href="http://www.hemingwayhome.com/">Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum</a> in Key West, Florida, where the writer lived in the 1930s.</p>
<p>&quot;Ernest Hemingway was celebrated in life as a great writer, lover, sportsman, adventurer and rebel-rouser,&quot; Hargreaves wrote in an email. &quot;What is less well known is that he was also a renowned cat lover.&quot;</p>
<p>A visiting ship captain gave Hemingway a white six-toed cat, Snowball, who soon had a litter of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polydactyl_cat">polydactyl</a> gene–carrying cats, which Papa named after celebrities of the era.</p>
<p>Said Hargreaves: &quot;Just as the Hemingway legend continues to grow after his death, so does the celebrity-named, six-toed, 55-cat colony at his home-turned-museum.&quot;</p>
<p>Hargreaves said he discovered the six-toed cats, some of which are Snowball descendants, while shooting an annual <a href="http://news.henryhargreaves.com/post/69070441310/hemingway-lookalike-contestants-key-west-fl">Hemingway lookalike contest</a> in Key West.</p>
<p>&quot;I was intrigued by the story of a softer side to Hemingway,&quot; Hargreaves said. &nbsp;</p>
<p>He chose a &quot;contrived portrait setting&quot; and shot some 20 of the felines like the celebrities they are named after.<br /> </p>
<p>&quot;Like their famous namesakes,&quot; Hargreaves said, &quot;some of the cats lapped up the attention, while others fled from the set like they were being chased by paparazzi.&quot;</p>
<p>Here's a video of Hargreaves talking about his project:<br /> </p>Wed, 13 Aug 2014 13:03:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/13/the_ernest_hemingway_home_and_museum_houses_dozens_of_six_toed_cats_in_key.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-08-13T13:03:00ZLifeWho Knew Hemingway Had a Thing for Six-Toed Cats?242140813001catsErnest HemingwayphotographyKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/13/the_ernest_hemingway_home_and_museum_houses_dozens_of_six_toed_cats_in_key.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of Henry HargreavesPhotographer Henry Hargreaves with Winston Churchill.The World’s Most Obvious Bus Stop Is Pure Design Genius &nbsp;http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/08/bus_by_spanish_artist_collective_mmmm_is_the_world_s_most_obvious_bus_stop.html
<p>Perhaps because the purgatory of waiting for the bus is one of the most aggravating daily trials of urban life, I love a <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/05/21/krumbach_austria_is_the_home_of_the_world_s_most_design_forward_bus_stops.html">clever bus stop design</a>. This summer, people waiting for the bus on South East Avenue in the Highlandtown neighborhood of Baltimore were treated to a public art sculpture that its designers, Madrid-based artist collective <a href="http://www.mmmm.tv/index.html">Mmmm</a>, call “an obvious bus stop.” So patently obvious and instantly appealing that it makes you wonder why the world isn’t full of 14-foot-tall, 7-foot-wide three-letter bus stop typography sculptures that spell out the word <em>BUS</em>.</p>
<p>In an email, Mmmm's Emilio Alarc&oacute;n told me that the idea was one of the first things that came to them during the design process. “We rejected it because it was too obvious,” he wrote. “After some months of working we were in a hole, the ideas we proposed weren't convincing for the community or to us, so we decided: Why not recover one of our first ideas? Why not make an obvious bus stop? And we did it!”</p>
<p>The sculpture is made from wood and steel, conceived like oversize pieces of urban furniture. Each letter is big enough to accommodate two to four people. The <em>B</em> can protect them from the elements, and the curve of the <em>S</em> invites passengers to lie back while they wait.</p>
<p>Alarc&oacute;n told me that the designers wanted “to create a very friendly bus stop to contrast with the industrial city” of Baltimore and help revitalize the Highlandtown neighborhood. Like the Mmmm’s first public sculpture, the popular<a href="http://www.mmmm.tv/enmeetingbowls.html"> Meeting Bowls</a> in New York City’s Times Square in 2011, the bus stop is the kind of playful design that encourages people to relax and interact.</p>
<p>While&nbsp;Alarc&oacute;n said that the bus stop is site-specific and they haven't been commissioned to build more, its design is so universally appealing that it could work virtually anywhere.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The bus stop is built like a conventional street bench, with wood planks screwed to a steel structure that supports weight and prevents vandalism. Refreshingly, nowhere in the bus stop concept does there appear to be the kind of <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/06/12/artist_nils_norman_documents_anti_homeless_spikes_and_other_defensive_architecture.html">defensive architecture</a> that is designed to keep people from loitering in a way that makes everyone less comfortable.<br /> </p>
<p>What’s more, said the designers, it’s “a bus stop you will never miss.”</p>
<p>Via <a href="http://www.designboom.com/art/mmmm-bus-stop-baltimore-08-07-2014/?utm_campaign=daily&amp;utm_medium=e-mail&amp;utm_source=subscribers"><em>Designboom</em></a></p>Fri, 08 Aug 2014 17:29:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/08/bus_by_spanish_artist_collective_mmmm_is_the_world_s_most_obvious_bus_stop.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-08-08T17:29:00ZLifeThe World’s Most Obvious Bus Stop Is Pure Design Genius&nbsp;242140808001designurban designarchitecturetypography designKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/08/bus_by_spanish_artist_collective_mmmm_is_the_world_s_most_obvious_bus_stop.htmlfalsefalsefalseCourtesy of MmmmMadrid-based artist collective Mmmm’s “an obvious bus stop” sits along South East Avenue in the Highlandtown neighborhood of Baltimore.A Stunning Column of White Light in London Commemorates the Outbreak of World War I&nbsp;http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/05/ryoji_ikeda_spectra_marks_the_centenary_of_world_war_i_in_london.html
<p>On Monday night millions of Londoners chose to honor the 100<sup>th</sup> anniversary of Britain’s involvement in World War I by turning off their home and office lights. Meanwhile, the city flooded the sky with a monumental column of light that could be seen from 12 miles away, according to the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/aug/05/ryoji-ikeda-spectra-first-world-war-artangel"><em>Guardian</em></a>. Designed by Japanese sound and light artist <a href="http://www.ryojiikeda.com/project/spectra/">Ryoji Ikeda</a>, the work is called <em>Spectra</em> and has been installed in cities from Buenos Aires to Barcelona to JFK’s Terminal 5 in NYC in one form or another since the artist created the work in 2000.</p>
<p>For the London installation of <em>Spectra</em>, which will shine from nightfall to daybreak for the next week, seven rows of seven spotlights are arranged in a grid by technicians from Paris’ <a href="http://www.sky-light.fr/">Skylight</a> company (which lights the Eiffel Tower), accompanied by an ambient soundtrack. &nbsp;</p>
<p>The <em>Guardian</em> described the effect of seeing it from the ground: “For those who happened to be passing Victoria Tower Gardens, a swath of green adjacent to the Houses of Parliament, the sense of wonder and disorientation was immediate and powerful, with the surrounding trees and buildings bathed in a glow emanating from the base of the pillar of light: a square of black matting on which 49 powerful spotlights beamed upwards as if into infinity.”</p>
<p>On his website, Ikeda describes the site-specific works as “a series of large scale installations employing intense white light as a sculptural material. ... White light is one of the purest forms of transformation from electricity. We see a pure state of energy. Through these installations we witness how the pure transformation transforms the environment itself and ourselves.” He said that the installation was designed to “provoke a feeling of something indescribable, something sublime and unearthly, something unforgettable.”</p>
<p>Explaining the symbolism of Ikeda’s work as a commemoration of the outbreak of World War I, London Mayor <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/aug/05/ryoji-ikeda-spectra-first-world-war-artangel">Boris Johnson</a> said: “The light <em>Spectra</em> throws up into the night sky is a unifying point. It echoes how the first world war affected all Londoners, but also how they and the rest of the country came together, standing united during those dark days.”</p>Tue, 05 Aug 2014 15:45:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/05/ryoji_ikeda_spectra_marks_the_centenary_of_world_war_i_in_london.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-08-05T15:45:00ZLifeA Stunning Column of White Light in London Commemorates the Outbreak of World War I242140805001world war idesignlondonKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/05/ryoji_ikeda_spectra_marks_the_centenary_of_world_war_i_in_london.htmlfalsefalsefalsePhoto by Thierry Bal. Courtesy of Artangel/14-18 NOW/Mayor of London Japanese sound and light artist Ryoji Ikeda's installation<em> Spectra</em>, as seen from London's Primrose Hill, commemorates the centenary of Britain's involvement in World War I.Stolen National Treasures From France’s Presidential Palace Turn Up on eBayhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/04/stolen_national_treasures_from_france_s_elysee_palace_turn_up_for_sale_on.html
<p>The d&eacute;cor of the ornate French presidential palace is a history-laden exercise in high style, furnished with artworks, furniture, and other national treasures from the state’s impressive holdings. But a few weeks ago the French government was embarrassed by a story that French taxpayer money went to repairing shredded armrests and a urine-soaked sofa sullied by former President <a href="http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/politique/20140717.OBS4058/le-salon-d-argent-de-l-elysee-deteriore-par-les-chiens-de-nicolas-sarkozy.html">Nicolas Sarkozy’s dogs</a>. And a few weeks ago, an <a href="http://www.directmatin.fr/patrimoine/2014-07-16/elysee-32-oeuvres-et-625-meubles-portes-disparus-685756">annual budget report</a> from France’s Court of Auditors revealed that 32 works of art and 625 pieces of furniture were missing from the &Eacute;lys&eacute;e Palace and other presidential residences.</p>
<p>In a new incident, first reported in the print version of French daily <a href="http://www.lefigaro.fr"><em>Le Figaro</em></a> on Friday and <a href="http://www.france24.com/fr/20140803-palais-elysee-mobilier-retrouve-ebay-disparition-chiens-sarkozy/">online</a> <a href="http://www.glamourparis.com/snacking-du-web/articles/des-meubles-de-l-elysee-retrouves-sur-ebay-04082014/23435">by others</a>, objects from France’s legendary <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacture_nationale_de_S%C3%A8vres">S&egrave;vres</a> porcelain factory, a historic royal entity now run by the state, have been <a href="http://www.france24.com/fr/20140803-palais-elysee-mobilier-retrouve-ebay-disparition-chiens-sarkozy/">discovered on eBay</a> by the French interior ministry. According to <em>Le Figaro</em>, the objects are believed to have been taken a half-century ago by “a military attach&eacute; from the 1950s who had a habit of giving them away as gifts.”<br /> </p>
<p>In France, artworks are lent to the presidential residence (and presidential hunting lodge retreat <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Lanterne_%28Versailles%29">La Lanterne</a> in Versailles, as well as former official retreat turned national monument <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_de_Br%C3%A9gan%C3%A7on">Fort de Br&eacute;gan&ccedil;on</a> on the French Riviera) by France’s museums. Furniture and textiles are provided courtesy of the centuries-old <a href="http://www.mobiliernational.culture.gouv.fr/en/home">Mobilier National</a>, the national repository of some 80,000 pieces of furniture and textiles that was originally established to furnish royal residences on demand and is now devoted to preserving France’s wealth of interior design–related patrimony.</p>
<p>While the government keeps an inventory of pieces, it’s only checked every five years. The most recent figures are from 2007, and in typically swift French bureaucratic fashion, numbers for 2012 won’t be ready until 2014, so officials say that there is no way to reliably trace when the objects disappeared.</p>
<p>According to <a href="http://news.artnet.com/art-world/missing-elysee-palace-furniture-turns-up-on-ebay-72514"><em>ArtNet</em></a>, socialist MP Ren&eacute; Dosi&egrave;re told <em>Le Figaro</em>: “At the &Eacute;lys&eacute;e, the management of what goes in and out is fairly improvised. When an inventory is done, the Mobilier National doesn’t have the same figures as the &Eacute;lys&eacute;e, which in turns doesn’t have the same figures as the inventory commission. In short, it’s a mess.”</p>
<p>Taking souvenirs from the presidential residence is a long-standing tradition in France. But the fact that pieces have not discreetly disappeared into private collections—instead making their way onto eBay—might mean that the French government will step up its role in preventing theft and recovering stolen objects in a more transparent manner. It isn't yet clear what happened to the eBay listings or how the French government plans to recover them. But in the meantime, France’s culture ministry has come up with the brilliant idea that it is now mandatory that missing items be reported in an online database they’re calling <a href="http://www.culture.gouv.fr/documentation/CBCR/">Sherlock</a>.</p>Mon, 04 Aug 2014 16:26:00 GMThttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/04/stolen_national_treasures_from_france_s_elysee_palace_turn_up_for_sale_on.htmlKristin Hohenadel2014-08-04T16:26:00ZLifeStolen National Treasures From France’s Presidential Palace Turn Up on eBay242140804001designfranceKristin HohenadelThe EyeThe Eyehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/08/04/stolen_national_treasures_from_france_s_elysee_palace_turn_up_for_sale_on.htmlfalsefalsefalsePhoto by Bertrand Langlouis/AFP/Getty ImagesFrance’s President Fran&ccedil;ois Hollande in his office at the presidential &Eacute;lys&eacute;e Palace in 2012.